There is no doubt the Flyers are Sean Couturier's team. The longest-tenured Philly athlete, after Brandon Graham's retirement this past spring, is the captain and consumate leader of the team. As far as the offense goes, Travis Konecny is the heart and soul. The defense...well, that's another matter.
Travis Sanheim is the third longest-tenured member of the Flyers, debuting for the 2017-18 season; a year after Konecny made his NHL debut. The 2014 first-round pick can no longer be considered a kid learning the ropes. He is the elder statesman of the defense. Couturier may lead the team, Konecny is the spark for the offense, but the defense will take its cues from Sanheim. It's time he takes that leadership role and run with it.
It’s time for Sanheim to become a leader
Sanheim's come a long way since being a 21-year-old roomie. The Flyers were transitioning, with older vets like Andrew McDonald and Radko Gudas and a young crop of defenders like Ivan Provorov amd Shayne Gostisbehere. It was expected that Sanheim, along with Provorov and Gostisbehere, would be foundational pieces for the Flyers for years to come. Eight years after his debut, and Sanheim is the only one of the trio still here.
One of Sanheim's greatest assets is his durability. Take away his rookie year, where he appeared in just 49 games, he's played in nearly every game since. Considering how some Flyer defenders (Rasmus Ristolainen, Jamie Drysdale) keep getting hurt, it's nice to see a familiar face out there almost every night.
Yes, he's had some ups and downs. He signed a long-term deal that many criticized at the time, but could be a steal. He was benched by John Tortorella, showing that anyone can be benched. He played for Team Canada in the Four Nations Tournament last year. In 2023-24, he set career highs with 20 goals and 44 points, before regressing like most of the Flyers last season. He's come a long a way.
Like many players on this team, it will be interesting to see what he can do under new head coach Rick Tocchet. He has steadily improved over the years under two defensive minded coaches. It’s uncertain what Tocchet will do with this team, but things should be different.
How Sanheim adapts to it, we'll see. Whatever he does, however, will set the tone for the defense. If Sanheim has a strong year this season, there is a good chance the defense could follow suit. Let's see what happens next.