Philadelphia Flyers: 2014 Draft created solid marks for Ron Hextall

Finishing 13th in the league, the Flyers would secure the 17th overall pick in the draft. With that pick, the team welcomed in Travis Sanheim of the Calgary Hitman. He was a highly sought-after pick as scouts claimed him to be one of the best defensemen in the entire draft.

That started during his time in the MMHL with the Yellowhead Chiefs. He posted back to back 30+ points seasons before heading to the WHL. He further developed into an offensive defenseman, posting 65+ points in two of his three seasons with the Hitman. Both of those campaigns saw him with 15 goals.

Ready to debut for the Phantoms, Sanheim appeared in four games at the end of the 2015-16 season. He impressed in that brief time, collecting three points in four games. His game translated smoothly during his one full season in the AHL. He posted 10 goals and was second among defensemen in points. He was seventh on the team in assists.

It wasn’t long before Sanheim earned a spot on the NHL roster. He appeared in 49 games the following season for the Flyers. He scored his first career goal, grabbing 10 total points. He did spend 18 games in the AHL at one point. He made the team for good last season and has only improved during that time.

Sanheim has developed into one of the anchors of a vastly improving Flyers defense. Once a problem area for the team, it has now become one of the team’s greatest strengths.