EIGHT YEARS IN THE MAKING: TRAVIS SANHEIM'S RISE TO NO.1 DEFENCEMAN

It’s easy to forget that a little over eight years ago, defenceman Travis Sanheim was the first ever draft selection of then Philadelphia Flyers General Manager Ron Hextall.

Why is it so important? It was Hextall’s inauguration that brought on the Flyers’ first crack at a rebuild, of sorts.

Sanheim, now 27, was one of several defencemen with high levels of hope to turn around a then-dismal and aging Philadelphia blueline. He joined Shayne Gostisbehere, Robert Hagg and Samuel Morin as the “future” faces of the defence, which soon supplemented with 2015 seventh-overall selection Ivan Provorov.

The Hextall (and then Chuck Fletcher) era for the Flyers ultimately flopped, although the Winnipeg, Manitoba native settled in nicely as the team’s second pair, left-shot defender. Despite years of team disappointment post-pandemic, Sanheim’s individual game was a bright spot, earning him an eight-year contract extension before the drop of the puck last season.

His first season under Head Coach John Tortorella did not go swimmingly, winding up as a healthy scratch in Calgary and being at the centre of trade discussions entering the summer. Ultimately staying in Philadelphia, Sanheim approached his preparation for this season differently than the preceding one, knowing that he had things to improve on.

“(In 2022) I went to the World Championships, was over there for a month and fractured my foot right at the end. It limited my training throughout the summer, was a lot more rehab and getting my health back as opposed to adding strength and muscle,” said Sanheim in an exclusive interview with TFP. “This summer, I declined my invitation to Worlds and got on my (training) program right away. I worked closely with the Flyers’ strength and conditioning coaches, spoke to them daily, going over exercises. My gym simulates what is at our practice rink and what they go through with summer programs here in Philly.

“It really benefited me, I was able to add a lot of strength and muscle this summer, I think you can notice it so far and hopefully I can keep that up.”

As mentioned, Sanheim’s name was the focal point of trade talks leading up to July 1, when his new contract and No Trade Clause was set to kick in. It has become common knowledge at this point, but the Flyers did have a deal in place that would have seen Sanheim end up with the St. Louis Blues; a deal that would’ve been executed had it not been for Torey Krug refusing to waive his NTC.

I have since been told by those within the organization that Krug’s decision was a “blessing in disguise,” supporting the saying that “sometimes the best deals are the ones you don’t make.”

But for Sanheim personally, the trade that never was served as a bit of a wake-up call and added motivation.

“When you sign a big deal, you think you’re going to be in a place for the length of your contract,” said Sanheim. “When it happened, before my deal even kicked in, it woke me up a little bit. In the sense of ‘you’re not necessarily safe and you need to improve and get better.’

“It definitely did motivate me; I wanted to prove that they were wrong (for exploring a trade). I think I’ve done that so far and hopefully I can continue improving, growing and getting my game where I want it to be.”

As Sanheim alluded to, he enters this season in the first of an eight-year, $50 million contract extension he signed a little over a year ago. It was signed by former President of Hockey Ops and GM Chuck Fletcher, who has since been removed from both positions.

Signing a deal of such magnitude came with added pressure, especially as the highest paid defenseman and second highest paid player overall on the Flyers for Sanheim.

“Any time you’ve got a bigger contract you want to be able to produce and worth your value,” said Sanheim. “Part of the motivation as well was a lot of people who thought my season last year was not worth my contract. I wanted to prove to people that that value was there, I am that player and there’s a reason I got the contract that I did.

“I’m just trying to show my value and give the Flyers the best version of myself.”

A first full season under new management presents pressures of its own – especially under a new regime that was not driving the bus when Sanheim signed his extension and tried to trade him. But a new season presented a clean slate and fresh start for Sanheim under the new top heads of the Flyers organization. So far, there has been nothing but positives in their eyes for how Sanheim has played and what he has meant for the team.

“He’s been gigantic for us in a lot of different ways,” said Flyers POHO Keith Jones while in discussion with TFP. “A left-hand shot playing the right side; he’s done that seamlessly. He’s been aggressive from the start as far as jumping up and joining the rush. He’s been physical when necessary and done a very good job of winning 1-on-1 puck battles, along with killing plays defensively.

“Overall, he’s performed like a number one defenseman and that has been very encouraging for us.”

Of all members of the Flyers’ brass, arguably the most important for Sanheim to have a good relationship with is Tortorella. It was no secret that Tortorella had his gripes with the player at times last year, which surely contributed to all of the trade talk.

But with a full year under Tortorella’s coaching and trying to leave the past behind, the relationship between the two is evolving with a better understanding for one another.

“Our relationship has grown a lot over the last several months,” said Sanheim. “More open and have a better understanding of one another. I had good conversations (with him) throughout the summer and I think he understands the work that I put in. From my side, the mindset of coming in of wanting to prove to him the player that I am and that last season doesn’t show the true player that I am. That I’m capable of a bigger role.

“It’s been good so far, we’ve had a great relationship to start the season and I’m hoping that we can continue that.”

The desire for a bigger role by Sanheim came with an opportunity entering this season – one he had never had since making it to the NHL. Always playing second-fiddle behind Provorov, Sanheim never had the opportunity to get consistent, top pairing minutes and hardly ever any power play time.

With Provorov being dealt to the Columbus Blue Jackets this summer, an avenue to top pairing minutes and the opportunity to be the team’s number one defender became clear. For Sanheim, it was a chance he had been wanting.

“I’ve always wanted that (opportunity) to a degree,” said Sanheim. “I always seemed to be the guy on the second pair, behind Provy, and credit to him he’s a hell of a player and did a lot for this team. Once he got moved I thought there were going to be some more opportunities available and I wanted to be a guy to take some of those minutes - so far I have.

“Hopefully I can continue to grow into a more well-rounded, top-pairing defenseman.”

Sanheim has played the entire season on his off side as the partner to 2019 first-round pick Cam York. York, who’s in his second full season with the Flyers, figures to be a focal point of the Flyers’ future and a cornerstone piece on their blueline for many years.

Sanheim was once a young defenseman with a lot of expectations from the organization, trying to find his footing in the NHL. Veteran presences are crucial for young defenders – especially those that can play at a high level. Through his experience in a similar position to York, Sanheim hopes that can translate into helping his younger compatriots.

“It was a little bit different (when I was young), we had a really young defense core,” said Sanheim. “All the guys taking up big minutes were under 25 years old at the time. There were some difficulties that came with that and I think looking back on it, from my standpoint, trying to provide some of that knowledge to the young guys that are coming in, trying to help them out the best that I can.

“I’m not going to have all the answers, I’m still learning to this day and learning from these young guys as they come in with a new skill set. We have a really good group and are going to continue to take steps this season.

Many things have changed over the last 12 months since Sanheim signed his extension, including an organizational overhaul in its leaders and philosophy, which includes embracing a rebuild. Now as one of (if not the) face of the defense, Sanheim has a unique opportunity to be a steadying presence on the back end for a team trying to gently glide its way through a rebuild while maintaining a competitive standard.

Though it was not the plan at the time of him signing his extension, the organizational course correction and the new opportunity it has presented for him is something that he embraces.

“At the time I signed my deal, did I know that we were going into a full rebuild? No, but I enjoy Philly, I love the city, I love the organization and I love the fans,” said Sanheim. “I want to be a big piece and a big part of this going forward and want to continue to grow alongside the young guys who continue to get better each and every day. I like where we’re at right now, continuing to grow and prove people wrong.

“That’s why I signed the deal that I did.”

It has been a long road for Sanheim, but he has finally reached the level to which he had strived to get at since being drafted by the Flyers more than eight years ago. We are not even a quarter of the way through the 2023-24 campaign, but the early returns on Sanheim’s off-season work have paid off on the ice and have been a welcomed addition to a blueline in desperate need of it.

Now the club’s No.1 defenseman, Sanheim’s responsibilities will continue to grow as the Flyers get deeper into their rebuild. More and more young faces will join the backend, and they will lean on Sanheim as a steadying presence like he has been to York in the early going.

Sanheim’s rise to the top of the defensive depth chart was not a conventional one, by any stretch, but with a rebuilding team in need of solid veterans to set the standard for a fresh crop of quality talent arriving in the coming years, his presence will be a crucial one for the evolution of the team’s backend.