In this edition of our 2023-24 Philadelphia Flyers player grading series, we take a look at 28-year-old defenseman Travis Sanheim. After having quite possibly the worst season of his career, he had a nice bounce-back campaign this go around. What grade does he deserve for this?
Sanheim Thrust Into First-Pairing Role
On Oct. 13, 2022, Sanheim signed an eight-year extension with the Flyers worth $6.25 million annually. Set to keep him in Philadelphia through 2030-31, this was a big gamble, to say the least. After a few very solid campaigns for the Orange and Black, he proceeded to have a dreadful one the second pen was put to paper. On the second pair that season, Sanheim’s defensive numbers were poor and he wasn’t much better offensively.
After Sanheim’s disastrous 2022-23 season, the Flyers’ moves in the offseason made him, ironically, the best candidate for their first pairing entering 2023-24. Since Ivan Provorov, the team’s top defensive ice time leader, was dealt to the Columbus Blue Jackets, that made Sanheim the primary candidate to eat up some more minutes out of necessity.
Instead of struggling with an increase in workload and defensive responsibility, Sanheim saw a return to form. Taking on a top-pairing role for the first time in his career, he actually fared pretty well.
Among the 70 defensemen who averaged 18 or more minutes of ice time at even strength, Sanheim was tied for 15th in expected goals against per 60 (xGA/60) with 2.59 and was 35th in expected goals percentage (xGF%) at 51.1. For a defenseman in the 92nd percentile of even-strength ice time (19:33 on average), Sanheim’s ability to suppress chances was elite.
Sanheim is one of those players where stats don’t paint the whole picture, though. While the numbers were good, he had his ups and downs on the ice. For as good as he was at helping the Flyers exit the defensive zone and keeping calm under pressure, he had some defensive lapses that left Philadelphia in bad situations. With these miscues sometimes leading to goals against, it wasn’t a good sight when it happened. Puck-watching was arguably his biggest weakness, and it definitely bit him quite a few times.
Even with some of the negatives, Sanheim’s numbers don’t lie. He was among the elite penalty-killing defensemen in the NHL, putting up a career-high four shorthanded points to go along with that. Speaking of points, he scored career-highs in goals (10), assists (34), and points (44) in 81 contests. Though he was a minus-20, the full story is that he was a decent first-pairing player despite being paid second-pairing money. At the end of the day, the Flyers couldn’t have asked for much more from him.
Assessing Sanheim’s Future
With Sanheim taking a step in the right direction, his future ironically seems more murky than ever. There should be some interest for him in the open market if the Flyers were to consider shopping him, seeing as top-four defensemen at a reasonable cap hit don’t grow on trees.
With that being said, Sanheim controls his own destiny with a no-trade clause on his contract. He gets the final say, so a move at this time doesn’t appear imminent by any means. Even though the Flyers are in a rebuild and having a lot of options would be ideal, their hands might be tied here.
If the Flyers do keep him around for a little while, Sanheim might be useful for the development of the younger players on the roster. 23-year-old Cam York reached first-pairing territory with Sanheim as his go-to partner, and that was great for the both of them. Having a competent defensive partner undoubtedly did the youngster a lot of good.
If the Flyers find someone else to pair with York, Sanheim could always be useful alongside an even younger defender like Jamie Drysdale. The 22-year-old has a lot of raw talent, but he just needs some help putting it all together. Keeping Sanheim around and having him match up with Drysdale might be worthwhile. A capable partner can be beneficial in the development process.
Related: Flyers 2023-24 Player Grades: Jamie Drysdale
As it stands, Sanheim could be a valuable contributor for a contender. In Philadelphia, he can serve as the quality defensive partner that every young player wants. He’s not perfect, but there are also a lot of things to like about his game.
Sanheim’s Final Grade
Sanheim’s progression wasn’t exactly an unexpected twist, but the extent to which he improved was definitely a treat. Instead of being an overpaid liability, he is now earning every last penny of his salary. Sometimes a single season is all it takes to make a difference. Overall, a B-plus grade seems fair for the services he provided.
Making his NHL debut in 2017-18, Sanheim is already a veteran of seven seasons for the Orange and Black. Wherever his future might be, his legacy to this point has been a positive one.