Philadelphia Flyers Prospect Profile: Travis Sanheim
Each week we will be discussing a different Philadelphia Flyers prospect and we will breakdown their estimated time of securing a roster spot. The first prospect we are going to discuss is defensemen Travis Sanheim. Before we get started though, here’s a quick look at Sanheim’s bio.
Name: Travis Sanheim
Birthdate: March 29th, 1996
Position: Defensemen
Shoots: Left
Height and Weight: 6’3″, 181lbs
Drafted: 1st round, 17th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers.
WHL Affiliation: Calgary Hitmen
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
I wanted to start our first weekly column with Travis Sanheim. Personally, I think the kid has it all. Besides Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim is the next best defensive prospect that the Philadelphia Flyers franchise has waiting for his chance to live out his dream of playing in the NHL. Yes, Sanheim is only 19 years of age, but he absolutely lit it up for the Calgary Hitmen last year.
--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ---- Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2012-13 Winkler Flyers MJHL -- -- -- -- -- 4 0 0 0 2 2013-14 Calgary Hitmen WHL 67 5 24 29 14 6 1 1 2 6 2014-15 Calgary Hitmen WHL 67 15 50 65 52 17 5 13 18 10 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stats courtesy of www.Hockeydb.com
I must admit, when the Flyers selected Travis in last year’s draft, I was a bit skeptical due to his rapid stock rise in the closing months leading up to the draft. But once you watch Sanheim play, you can’t help but feel that Ron Hextall and the Philadelphia Flyers franchise may have hit a home run, or at least a triple.
If Sanheim can hone his skills a little more, he can be a solid top pairing defensemen. I don’t believe that Travis will become a number one defensemen, but I do believe the Flyers addressed a possible number one defensemen when it came to this year’s draft, by drafting another stud defensemen by the name of Ivan Provorov.
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Travis has an incredibly high ceiling and it seems that he has progressed quite a bit, even in just the short period of a year. When you look at Travis’s play, it speaks for itself. It would not be unrealistic to see Travis in a team Canada jersey next year for the world juniors championship. It was quite a shame to see Sanheim cut from the roster of team Canada, but it seems as if Travis has used this as a constant reminder that he must work harder to get where he wants to be.
In my opinion, Travis Sanheim’s best attribute is his skating ability. When you watch him on the ice, he makes it seem so effortless and easy. He walks the blue line, waiting for a lane to open up before unloading a shot that is almost surely going to get on net. Travis utilizes his skating to the best of his ability. Sanheim combines his smooth skating, powerful slapshot, and patience. Those attributes combine to make him a more than lethal mobile and offensive defensemen.
Travis has a tremendous amount of upside when it comes to his offensive game. At the point of being drafted, Travis was being compared to Ryan Mcdonagh. I’m not a big advocate of player comparisons since each individual is their own being and everyone is different, but if this comparison is remotely correct, I don’t think anyone in Flyers nation would be disappointed.
For the Philadelphia Flyers franchise, it is incredibly exciting to see the plethora of young, mobile defensemen. Shayne Gostisbehere, Travis Sanheim, and Ivan Provorov all embody the mobile defensemen mold that every team in the NHL is looking to become now a day. Not to mention, when you look at the Philadelphia Flyers new head coach Dave Hakstol, each of these players fit into the type of system he liked to utilize at the University of North Dakota.
Dave Hakstol wants a blue line filled with mobile defensemen, especially with the way the game has changed over the years. You need your defensemen to have speed and jump into the play to sustain pressure in the offensive zone. This is what creates scoring opportunities.
Needless to say, I can’t wait to see Travis Sanheim in a Philadelphia Flyers uniform in the near future. Travis Sanheim, along with the other Philadelphia Flyers prospects will have the opportunity to earn a roster spot for this upcoming season when training camp starts in September.
Projected time of arrival on the Philadelphia Flyers blue line: 2017-2018 season
I believe that Travis will be sent back to play with the Calgary Hitmen for next season so he can continue to hone his craft and progress. Like Hextall states, there’s no reason to “rush the kids”.