Walker out with hip/groin injury

With his equipment hanging neatly at the Flyers Skate Zone on Tuesday, defenseman Matt Walker's skates were dry – not dripping with sweat and water like the rest of his teammates.

Walker was missing from practice on Tuesday.

So too were Chris Pronger, Jeff Carter and Blair Betts.

Pronger and Betts are still nursing knee injuries and Carter has been slightly hampered after blocking another shot with his foot in the preseason.

Peter Laviolette called it a "maintenance day" for all three of them, who played Monday night. The Flyers' next game is not until Thursday night against Tampa Bay.

But Walker, who was acquired on July 19 from the Lightning along with a fourth round pick for Simon Gagne, was a scratched on Monday – and in the Flyers' first two games last week. That raised a red flag.

Turns out, Walker suffered a hip / groin injury in the preseason, Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren told the Daily News.

"Matt suffered a hip/groin injury in an early preseason game that has continued to bother him," Holmgren said. "He went to see a doctor today. We will not know his status until tomorrow [Wednesday] at the earliest."

A Flyers team source said surgery could be on the horizon for Walker.

The injury could explain why Walker, who will earn $1.7 million this season, was scratched in favor of fellow blue liner Oskars Bartulis last week. Hip and groin injuries have caused multiple issues for the Flyers over the last couple seasons.

We will keep you posted.

For the latest updates, follow Frank Seravalli on Twitter at http://twitter.com/DNFlyers.