The Flyers’ transition game has stalled this season. Sean Walker’s absence is a major reason why.

RALEIGH, N.C. — The text from a source inside the Flyers organization on March 6 summed it up perfectly.

“The 2025 is the key,” it read.

“The 2025,” referred to a first-round pick in this June’s NHL draft. It was what the Flyers wanted in return for Sean Walker in a potential trade as the deadline approached. Acquired as a salary dump from Los Angeles in the three-team trade that shipped Ivan Provorov to the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Flyers knew they could move the puck-moving blueliner who was set to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Given Walker’s play after joining the Flyers, they soon realized they could recoup a high draft pick.

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It was a move that had to happen and the Flyers were able to trade him to the Colorado Avalanche for that 2025 first-rounder, with the caveat they would absorb half of forward Ryan Johansen’s $8 million cap hit for the 2023-23 and 2024-25 seasons.

“Obviously [Philly] was another chance for me to show what I can do in the league,” Walker said Tuesday, noting that general manager Danny Brière was transparent about everything. “I was on an expiring contract, so I kind of needed to do that, and they gave me all that opportunity. So my time was great.”

During free agency, Walker said he was hopeful something would get done with the Flyers but joked there was a “sense of relief, almost” when he signed a five-year, $18 million contract with the Carolina Hurricanes and knew he didn‘t have to do coach John Tortorella’s dreaded skate test again.

Walker, who trained with Morgan Frost in the summer and had dinner with a few of his former teammates Monday night, was a key cog in the Flyers lineup last season.

In 63 games, he had six goals and 16 assists and posted a plus-9 rating. At the time of the trade, he ranked eighth in Evolving Hockey’s even-strength offense model at 8.5 goals above replacement and also was on the positive side defensively (2.4 GAR). Alongside partner Nick Seeler, he thrived in Philly’s rush-centric attack and was a key component in driving play and controlling possession.

And the Flyers certainly miss him this season.

“From what I remember, everyone was just on the same page,” Walker said Tuesday. “There was no not bringing the puck back, [and] as soon as you get it, we want to put the game on the other team. So I think last year, that team excelled at it, and I think that’s something that fits my game well. So it worked well.”

The Flyers have struggled to find consistency in their game this season — especially in transition, where they excelled last season. Some have partly attributed that to wingers playing too high in the defensive zone and defensemen not having open passes. Part of it is the lack of puck support — everywhere — and, lastly, the Flyers just haven’t had the puck a lot.

Entering the season, the hope was that smooth-skating Jamie Drysdale would thrive in transition. But the 22-year-old has struggled to find his game. Enter Emil Andrae. No, one player isn’t going to cure all that ails the Flyers, but if you watch his play on the goal Tyson Foerster scored against the Boston Bruins last Tuesday, he did everything Tortorella has been wanting from his group — strong A transition and getting up the ice for the puck support. The result: his first NHL point.

“Walks is a really good player ... I think Emil, he’s a little bit different,” Tortorella said Monday after practice. “I think Walks understands positioning better and is just better on the other other part of the ice. But Emil has the same type of mentality, as far as looking to get the puck up quick, not use his partner, looking to get up the ice quick.

“He made a couple plays in that second period [against Boston] where I thought [it was] one of our better 15 minutes of transition and forechecking — every clip I have basically, it starts with Emil. Getting it up the ice, chip it off the wall, let us skate onto it, a quick play up the ice. He’s in the tape all over the place as far as transition.”

The 22-year-old Andrae, who was recalled from Lehigh Valley on Oct. 27 after Cam York was placed on injured reserve, has skated in four games and is one of three players with a positive plus-minus; the other two, winger Garnet Hathaway and center Ryan Poehling, have played 12 games each.

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When Andrae was called up Oct. 11 after Seeler was placed on injured reserve, Tortorella said the next day “I’m not sure he’ll play.” And he didn’t suit up for a single shift.

Now, the bench boss is saying he has “certainly caught our eye” with what he has done before adding the 5-foot-9 defenseman has put him in a tough spot when York does return from his upper-body injury.

“I think he struggles a little bit just with the size of people, not a big guy himself, but the part of the game I like is his transition game,” Tortorella said. “I like what he’s done on the power play too. The second power-play unit the other night was by far much more effective than the first. I love what he’s doing with the puck. He tends to be a little inconsistent and not on his toes as far as defending. If we can cure that, because he’s a willing kid, he’s going to get better anticipation skills for him to maybe get the pucks in the defensive zone, instead of just closing big bodies out where that’s where he struggles.

“He might be able to get to the puck first and get us going. So with anticipation skills defensively, that’s what I’d like to see him concentrate on. But I’m going to leave him alone offensively because I think he makes a really good plays offensively. And I think he’s got some moxie as far as not being afraid to make a play.”

Aleksei Kolosov will start against the Carolina Hurricanes. It will be his second NHL start and third appearance this season. The rookie goalie has a 3.29 goals-against average and .870 save percentage. ... Sam Ersson, injured in Saturday‘s afternoon loss to the Bruins, was on the ice at the tail end of morning skate at Lenovo Center. ... Poehling will miss his first game of the season on Tuesday. According to Tortorella he is back home. “A little banged up, has some family situation, so he’s not with us.” Forward Nick Deslauriers will enter the lineup in his place and the expectation is Noah Cates will move to center. ... Defenseman Egor Zamula is back in the lineup, and Erik Johnson will sit. Johnson is three games away from reaching 1,000.