The Philadelphia Flyers announced on Thursday afternoon that they have signed defenseman Travis Sanheim to an eight-year, $50 million deal that will carry an average annual value of $6.25 million.
Related: Canucks Willing to Wait Out Bo Horvat On a Contract Extension
There had been rumblings that the two sides were hoping to get something done, and they were able to do just that on what most feel is a relatively team friendly deal. The 26-year-old Sanheim is one of the more underrated defenseman in the NHL, in large part due to the fact he doesn’t post massive numbers. That said, he was quite solid on a very bad Flyers team last season, registering 31 points in 80 games while also having a plus/minus rating of plus9. It wasn’t as though he was given easy matchups either, as he averaged nearly 23 minutes per game in ice time.
Sanheim has been a part of the Flyers organization since being selected 17th overall back at the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. He has since suited up for 335 career games, scoring 29 goals and 116 points. He has also logged 20 career playoff games in which he has two goals and eight points.
There isn’t a ton of positives when looking at the Flyers roster right now, or recent moves made as of late by general manager Chuck Fletcher. That said, this is a major step in the right direction, as it ensures they will keep who most consider to be the best blue liner on their roster for a long period of time. The hope now is that the rest of the team is able to prove around him and turn into a contender, though that appears to be something that could take some time given their extremely underwhelming lineup as of now.
Next: Jonathan Drouin Potentially On the Outs in Montreal, Trade Likely
