Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
When the Philadelphia Flyers selected Travis Sanheim in the first round of the 2014 NHL draft, they thought they had a player who would develop into a first-pairing defenseman.
Well, it may have taken a little longer than they had hoped, but Sanheim has finally blossomed into that type of player.
Oh, he’s been used on the first pairing before this season, but he didn’t always look like he belonged there.
Now he does.
“He’s been so impressive,” said Flyers coach John Tortorella, not one who hands out compliments freely. “He’s taken off.”
GM Danny Briere agreed.
“It’s been fun to watch him develop the way he has the last two seasons,” Briere told the Flyers’ radio network on Nov. 26. “When Ivan Provorov left, we were wondering who would take the reins on defense and if Travis would be up for it. He really took that to heart and decided he would be the leader back there.
“And he just keeps getting better and better.”
All-Star-Type Season
If this was a normal season, Sanheim could have become the Flyers’ first homegrown defenseman to make the All-Star Game since Behn Wilson during the 1980-81 campaign.
But the NHL is foregoing the All-Star festivities in 2024-25 and instead is holding the 4 Nations Face-Off, which will consist of seven games from Feb. 12 to 20. The tournament will be composed of teams from Canada, the United States, Finland and Sweden.
Sanheim is a candidate for Team Canada.
The 28-year-old defenseman has become one of the NHL’s workhorses – he is fourth in the league, averaging 25:38 of ice time, despite being used infrequently on the power play. He leads all NHL skaters in even-strength time per game at 21:52 while the Flyers have been banged up on the back end.
“Obviously with the situation we’re in, there’s more minutes that need to be taken upon,” he told reporters on Nov. 20. “I’m happy to do it. I enjoy playing a lot of minutes. Sometimes, it’s a little bit tough when you’re trying to join the rush like I’ve been doing, and just trying to, on the off days, take care of my body.”
Sanheim is tied for eighth among NHL defensemen with five goals – and is tied for second with five even-strength tallies. In addition, he is playing with more tenacity – and confidence – than in past seasons.
Tortorella hasn’t always been a Sanheim fan. In the past, he has said the 6-foot-4, 222-pound Sanheim didn’t have a complete game and was only efficient in one area – skating. The coach even made Sanheim a healthy scratch during the Flyers’ lone visit to Calgary on Feb. 20, 2023.
Sanheim, a Manitoba native, had family and friends in the stands who were there to watch him.
Fast forward to two seasons later. The Sanheim trade rumors have subsided. The coach is happy with the player they call ‘Sanny,’ a player who is much more aggressive than in his earlier seasons.
Related: 4 Nations Face-Off: Three Final Roster Projections For Team Canada
Progression Begins
The progression started last season when Sanheim set career highs in goals (10) and points (44).
He is on pace to surpass those numbers, and his defensive play has improved, too. He leads NHL defenseman with 24 takeaways and took a minus-1 rating into Friday’s matinee against the visiting New York Rangers – after finishing minus-20 last season.
Sanheim, who has a left shot but has been playing mostly the right side, has been joining the rush with authority, and Tortorella says it’s “pretty cool” to watch the defenseman’s game grow.
A soft-spoken and humble sort, Sanheim says it would be an honor to be named to Team Canada’s squad for the 4 Nations Face-Off but that he is just focusing on “trying to get my game into a good spot and continue to get better every day and help this team win hockey games.”
Briere concedes the Flyers, though competitive, “aren’t quite there” with the Stanley Cup contenders but believes the team is making progress.
Especially Sanheim.
“Last year he took a huge step, and we thought, ‘OK, this is what Travis has become and can he sustain it?” Briere said. “Coming into this season, we were hoping he could show the consistency and have a another good year. And he’s been even better than we expected. Now, what’s the ceiling for him? He’s already passed what we expected the ceiling to be. Where does he go?”
Maybe, just maybe, onto Team Canada’s roster.
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