The 6-7-1 start of the Philadelphia Flyers might not suggest that they are having a great season, but several of the team’s players have had a fantastic start individually. Which Flyers are exceeding expectations so far this season?
Travis Sanheim
Travis Sanheim, a trade candidate over the summer, has not only remained in Philadelphia but has excelled. After a 2022-23 campaign that was arguably the worst season of his career, he has rebounded to not only make his eight-year, $50 million contract look fair, but perhaps seem like an underpayment. One of the top minute-crunchers in the league, he has been a pleasant surprise for the Orange and Black.
Last season was a mess for Sanheim. Right before the season, he signed a massive extension that will pay him through his age-35 season. He was at one of his lowest points in 2022-23, not generating offensively and getting less and less ice time as the season went on. It was a difficult campaign for him, and the Flyers officially entering a rebuild did not help matters. He quickly became expendable, but general manager (GM) Danny Briere decided not to deal him coming off a rotten season.
Not making a move turned out to be the right call for the Flyers to this point. Sanheim had something to prove and put on a lot of muscle in the offseason to show that. Even from the start of training camp, he has shown glimpses of being a much more polished, confident defender than he was last season. He has displayed solid edgework and has been a great generator of offense at even strength, with 11 points in 14 games at 5-on-5 and 14 points in total on the season. With a career-high of 31 points, he is looking to shatter his previous best.
What has made Sanheim such a great piece is his reliability. Playing nearly 26 minutes each night, it has been quite some time since a Flyer defender was as utilized as he has been this season. Riding a wave of confidence, he has shown no signs of slowing down.
Joel Farabee
Joel Farabee is another player who was coming off a down season in 2022-23, but his poor campaign could largely be blamed on the disc replacement surgery he underwent during that offseason. He struggled to produce offensively and had long stints where he couldn’t put up as much as a single point.
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Since fully recovering from surgery, Farabee has arguably been the Flyers’ best player. He has shown elite transitional ability, great speed, solid two-way play, and has been a great finisher this season. Everything has gone right with his campaign, and he is doing it playing third-line minutes.
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He is due for a bit of regression with how well he has been shooting this season, but his value goes beyond how many goals he is scoring. Farabee has made significant strides into becoming a reliable player for the Flyers. He has done terrific this season, showing that there is still some potential for him to be a staple in Philadelphia.
Sean Walker
Sean Walker, a cap dump from the Los Angeles Kings in the Flyers’ three-way trade where they shipped off Ivan Provorov, was not seen as much more than a potential roster player for a Flyers team that had some holes to hill on the back end. Since he has suited up, he has actually become one of the Flyers’ best defenders.
Walker has been pinching offensively very frequently. His willingness to provide offense has made the Flyers a much more dangerous team, which is something they probably didn’t expect out of him. He has also provided some pretty solid defense. Since he has just one year left on his contract, he could get the Flyers much more of a return than they might have anticipated when it’s time for the trade deadline. Briere did a sensational job in landing him this offseason, potentially changing the defender’s career for the better.
Bobby Brink
In his rookie campaign, Bobby Brink has been one of the biggest surprises on the Flyers. His 2022-23 season was sabotaged by a torn labrum, forcing him to rehab and spend a lot of time in the American Hockey League (AHL). It was originally seen as a long shot for him to make the team, but he has made himself a name in Philadelphia.
The 22-year-old forward is among the rookie leaders in points and has emerged as one of the key youngsters on the Flyers. With eight points in his first 13 games, it has been an encouraging season thus far for the youngster. Brink has the potential to be a vital part of the Flyers’ rebuild if he continues to progress.
Nicolas Deslauriers
Signed to be a physical force and a leader for the Flyers’ young players last season, Nicolas Deslauriers is becoming a solid depth piece for the Flyers. Even though he has just two points on the season, he has been a great presence on the Flyers’ fourth line.
When Deslauriers has been on the ice, the Flyers have generated the bulk of the opportunities that occur. He has done a good job defensively and has contributed to some offensive pressure with relentless forechecking. He has been much more than a pure enforcer, truly earning a roster spot on the Flyers’ 2023-24 roster.
As a collective, the wins have been hard to come by at times for the Orange and Black. Individually, there have been several Flyers who have exceeded expectations, which is all a rebuilding team needs in order to have the pieces to succeed in the future.