A little more than an hour before the season opener, the Flyers extended defenseman Travis Sanheim. The contract extension ranges over 8 years for $50 million dollars ($6.25 million AAV). Sanheim was set to become a restricted free agent this summer, but the Flyers managed to lock him up long-term instead.
The Flyers drafted Sanheim 17th overall in the 2014 draft. He spent a few seasons with the Flyers’ AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Since 2018, he has been a mainstay in the Flyers’ defensive pairings. At age 26, he has blossomed into the best homegrown Flyers defenseman.
Last year during an abysmal Flyers season, Sanheim was one of the few bright spots. He was the only player to finish the season with a positive plus/minus with a +9. He also was second in the team in total ice time while logging 31 points (7 goals and 24 assists).
Early on, there have been conflicting reviews on the extension. One side believes that signing Sanheim was required since he has proven to be the team’s best defender. He is a big, puck-moving defenseman that can provide offense and log big minutes. He should be entering his prime years, which will now all be with the Flyers.
On the other hand, his contract may be an overpayment. It’s possible overpaying was necessary due to the state of the Flyers. Instead of allowing Sanheim to test restricted free agency, the Flyers signed him long enough to outlast their rebuild/retool. Whatever it is, they want to call it.
The other concern is the length of the contract based on his age. At the end of the deal, Sanheim will be 34 years old. In a similar contract extension last summer, Sean Couturier signed for 8 years at 28 years old. The contract went into effect this season, and Couturier is dealing with a serious back injury. Although Coots is a terrific player, some Flyers fans may be experiencing a bit of buyer’s remorse.
As Couturier gets older, there is a major concern about durability. Last February, some reports stated his back injury may be career-threatening. This happened before the extension even kicked in. Now, the Flyers have Couturier on the books until 2030, when he’ll be 37 years old. Sanheim is younger than Coots at the time the extension begins, but 8 years is a long time. It’s reasonable to be skeptical, especially in the later years of the deal.
Regardless of his critics, this should be viewed as a terrific deal for Sanheim and the Flyers. The salary cap will only rise next season by around a million dollars, to $83.5 million. However, the rumor is that the cap will increase significantly after the 2024-25 season. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly even believes the big cap increase will happen after the 2023-24 season. A rumored salary cap of $90-95 million in 2-3 years would make the Sanheim contract more flexible. It would not be considered a bargain, but it would be more manageable for the Flyers. The cap increase would help most toward the end of Sanheim’s deal when he’s in his early to mid-30s. At that point, his career may be winding down, but the increased cap would help soften the burden of his contract.
Overall, the Flyers need to keep players like Travis Sanheim on the roster. Whether they think they can contend now or want to go full rebuild, Sanheim is around for the long haul. He is one of the few players that can help the franchise climb out of the hole of misery they have been in lately.
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