The Philadelphia Flyers are riding high with a three-game win streak and a five-game point streak, and a large reason why they are doing as well as they are is one defenseman playing his absolute heart out. He’s playing so well, that his head coach is really hoping he gets to play for his country soon.
Travis Sanheim has been a workhorse through this Flyers surge. The 27-year-old defenseman has been averaging about 29 minutes of ice time per game — practically playing a period and a half all by himself — and is racking up the points as well with five goals and 11 points on the season.
Simply put, Sanheim has started this season as this team’s best defenseman and he has even upped his game since his typical defense partner Cam York has been absent due to injury. He has been phenomenal and after a first star-earning win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, where he scored a goal and walked away with two points, five shots on goal, and a plus-three rating, Flyers head coach John Tortorella is pleading with the decision makers over at Team Canada for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off, for his No. 1 defenseman to make the roster.
“I hope Hockey Canada is watching,” Tortorella said Saturday after the Flyers’ 5-2 win. “Because of that guy is not on that team, when they pick that team — he has just been so impressive. You watch him play, but just how he carries himself. I know I always talk about that, but I think it’s very important. He’s taken off. He’s got a level of confidence that is just outstanding. … There’s more there. He’s impressive. For me, watching on the sidelines, it’s real fun to watch a guy grow like that.”
Each of the four teams involved in this NHL-run tournament — Canada, the United States, Sweden, and Finland — have a deadline of Dec. 2 to submit their final rosters and they will be unveiled two days later. Of course, each team has already named six players that were surefire locks to make it. On Canada, there is only one defenseman named and that’s Cale Makar. Theoretically, there is still plenty of opportunity for Sanheim to be one of the defensemen named.
The roster for each country will consist of 20 skaters and three goaltenders. How they split up the forwards and defensemen in that 20 is up to the team, but most likely it will mean one extra forward and one extra defenseman for the tournament. And maybe what sets Sanheim apart from his countrymen is that he can play either side of the ice and in a short tournament, that should be valuable to lineup flexibility, if there is an injury or something isn’t right according to the coaching staff.
Regardless whether or not Sanheim gets to play some games in Red and White starting on Feb. 12, the defenseman does recognize that how he is playing right this season is an improvement on his previous 500 games in the league.
“Yeah, I think so,” Sanheim said after asked if his current form is the best of his career. “I think just overall. When I got the puck, I feel like I can make plays whether it’s offense or defense, or breaking out, or using my body, and defending — I’m just feeling really confident right now and pucks are going in for me. Hopefully that continues.”
And you can see that. Sanheim is just oozing the confidence to go for the offensive play or really stretch and is not shying away from stern defensive coverage. He is essentially doing everything you want from your team’s top defenseman and now it is just about maintaining that level of play.
If the 4 Nations Face-Off rosters were based on how the player is playing right now, Sanheim should be a lock. We will just be slightly disappointed — especially if Travis Konecny doesn’t make the roster either and we have zero Flyers playing in the tournament — but know how much typical reputation goes into the selection.
We’ll see in just a few weeks if Sanheim gets to represent his country, or not.
