The last thing on Chuck Fletcher’s offseason list has been ticked off. Travis Sanheim signed a two-year deal with the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday. The new contract is worth worth $4.67M AAV.
His arbitration hearing, curated by the Philadelphia Flyers was scheduled for August 26th, 2021. It appears as though both parties were able to settle on the new two-year deal in that time.
The 25-year-old is entering his sixth year with the Flyers and is coming off the back of a disappointing 2020 campaign. He appeared in 55 games for the team, notching 3 goals and 12 assists. Unfortunately, Sanheim’s play beyond basic stats hasn’t exactly been stellar, with mistakes and a lack of physicality largely overshadowing the Manitoba native’s contributions. He ended the season with a corsi rating of 51 and will have to show some significant improvement if he is to prove worthy of what’s really a pretty sizeable payday.
However, he only missed one game and it’s not as if the rest of the team wasn’t struggling either. He was still performing at a high enough level for Alain Vigneault to deem him best option on the left side of the second pair.
Travis Sanheim will play next to Rasmus Ristolainen next season. The Flyers appear to be banking on a resurrection of form given that he’ll have some much-needed stability alongside him. However, if he doesn’t, then this could be a pretty big overpay for a team who aren’y exact;y swimming in cap space.
The former first-round pick started his career as a pro at the end of the 2015-16 season it’s Lehigh Valley. He spent the next one and a half seasons with the Phantoms before making the jump up to the NHL level. Since then, he’s recorded a total of 22 goals and 63 assists, playing in 20 Stanley Cup playoff games in the process.
As for what comes next, the Flyers are beginning their countdown to the upcoming season, with free agency and the draft now firmly in the rear view mirror. Fletcher was able to retain both Carter Hart and Sanheim, giving both a raise as he mentioned just after the Draft. It’s officially the calm before the storm.
Photo Credit: Alex McIntyre
