We've reflected on the team's top forwards and their depth players up front, and now it's time to look to the backend (which includes two Olympians!). Let's get right into it.
Travis Sanheim: B+
It's been another year of all-around solid play from the Flyers' best defenseman. Sanheim leads the team's regular defensemen with a 52.09 expected Goals-For percentage (xGF%) per Natural Stat Trick, and in points with 24 (six goals, 18 assists) in 56 games. He also got his Olympic opportunity, and made the most of it. This is also Sanheim's first year wearing an "A" on his sweater, cementing him as part of the Flyers' leadership group. If not for the fatigue setting in leading up to the Olympic break (and likely to persist after), he'd certainly be in consideration for an "A" grade.
Cam York: B
In the first year of his five year, $5.15-million AAV extension, York is delivering another strong season as a fixture on the Flyers' top pair; perhaps no Flyer has benefitted more from the Flyers' coaching change. He missed some time due to injury, but York is up to four goals and 22 points in 49 games, putting him in striking distance of his career high 10 goals and 30 points in the 2023-24 season. There have been some glaring gaffes and lapses this season, so we can't grade him any higher, but he's putting up positive play driving numbers (50.82 xGF%) and points in tough minutes.
Jamie Drysdale: B+
What a season it's been for Jamie Drysdale. In 53 games, the 23-year old has five goals and 23 points and a solid 50.29 xGF%. He's come such a long way from his first months in Philadelphia, looking utterly lost on the ice most nights and dealing with nagging injuries, to now being a reliable top-four defenseman. The only knock on Drysdale is the power play production, which has never come around--though maybe that power play goal against the Washington Capitals is a sign of positive things to come.
Rasmus Ristolainen: C
An outstanding Olympic performance aside, Ristolainen's had a tough go of it during the regular season in Philadelphia. Ristolainen has only played 19 games for the Flyers so far this season, as he was recovering from surgery, and in that time has one goal and six points. While offense is no longer the focus of Ristolainen's game (he's much more effective as a defensive defenseman), his 47.38 xGF% is cause for concern. For now, he gets a passing grade, and perhaps he'll come back to the Flyers with some confidence.
Nick Seeler: C+
Nick Seeler is exactly who he is: a physical, shutdown third-pair defenseman who isn't going to provide a ton of offense (two goals, seven points in 56 games) but will generally keep play going in the right direction (a modest 49.68 xGF%). If you have the right expectations for Seeler, he will live up to them--and that's what he's done this season.
Emil Andrae: C
This year has been a step back for Andrae, and he's barely able to get into a lineup that leans heavily on Noah Juulsen (who we'll get into last). In his rookie season, Andrae finished with a 55.10 xGF%, seven points, and was averaging 17:21 per night; now, he's down to 16:54 a game and up in points with 11, but the high-end play driving is gone: his 49.86 xGF% is merely "fine." As a small defenseman without elite offensive production, "fine" isn't going to cut it. Andrae needs to play, but he's got to be doing more in his minutes, too.
Noah Juulsen: D+
We all knew the moment Juulsen was signed why he was here: he's one of Rick Tocchet's guys, and the Flyers needed somebody to fill in for Rasmus Ristolainen on the right side while he was recovering from surgery. Ristolainen returned to the lineup, and somehow Juulsen has still played 47 of a possible 56 games, to the detriment of younger players like Emil Andrae. Juulsen boasts the worst play driving numbers of regular defensemen with 47.22 xGF%, and only one goal and nine points. Andrae (and maybe Ty Murchison, Oliver Bonk or Hunter McDonald) should be getting NHL ice time, and an easy fix for that would be trading Juulsen at the deadline. He's been about what we expected from the jump: not very good.