Travis Sanheim wants to turn the page with the Flyers, in more ways than one

In an alternate version of history, Travis Sanheim isn’t having this conversation, in this locker stall, in this building, in this state, with this organization.

In an alternate version of history, Torey Krug waived his no-trade clause and Sanheim ended up in St. Louis, a cruel turn of fate and stark reality of the business Sanheim signed up for — a trade sending him away from the team he inked an eight-year extension with, just days before that extension, and the full no-trade clause that came with it, kicked in.

» READ MORE: The Flyers have a future Selke candidate in Noah Cates. Now, can he take a leap offensively?

Sanheim doesn’t seem too interested in diving too deep into the hypothetical. The trade didn’t happen in the way it was initially planned. Kevin Hayes was still eventually sent to the Blues, but Sanheim and Krug weren’t involved in the deal.

But for a few days, Sanheim admits, he was attached to his phone. “It was pretty intense there for a while,” he said Monday in Voorhees. Sanheim, 27, was one of several prominent Flyers listed atop the NHL transaction market and rumor mill this summer, and it wasn’t the first time his name was involved in it all.

But he wasn’t Googling things to do in St. Louis or looking for new places to live. “You’re not too worried about it until it happens,” Sanheim said.

Of course, it didn’t happen. The page was turned. Sanheim’s no-move clause kicked in with his $50 million extension on July 1, and so the 6-foot-3 defenseman embarked on an offseason program that saw him add more weight — 15 pounds, he says — and put himself in position to take over as the team’s top blueliner.

How do you flip that switch, though? One week you were gone, the next week you’re supposed to be the new No. 1 D-man? Sanheim said there weren’t any hard feelings, and still aren’t any today.

“I don’t think they were looking to move me,” he said. “It’s a business. Anybody can be moved at the right price and I think that was the case in that situation. They were honest with me, and I was appreciative of the conversations I had with them.”

» READ MORE: Bobby Brink continues to make his case as Flyers roll to 3-1 preseason win over Bruins

Sanheim has moved on, as he should have. It’s been three months since that new contract kicked in, and he signed the deal he did because he likes it here and likes the security that comes with a no-move clause. His focus all summer and in camp, he said, was on improving.

A first-round pick in 2014, Sanheim had a surprisingly disappointing 2022-23 season. He was ascending, but then regressed after arguably his best season as a pro. Last season, was the defenseman’s worst since he was a 21-year-old rookie in 2017-18. In 81 games, Sanheim produced just 23 points, while he finished in the bottom-30 among NHL defensemen in both even strength offensive and defensive goals above replacement, according to Evolving Hockey. By the same model, Sanheim was the Flyers’ worst offensive defenseman in 2022-23 at almost four goals below replacement.

At least one of the reasons that contributed to the regression was revealed earlier in this year’s camp when Sanheim divulged that he suffered a foot fracture in the 2022 World Championships while playing for Canada. He said the injury didn’t linger into the season, but it impacted how he was able to train.

This summer has been about turning the page on that, too, and making sure that was a one-yer blip.

Sanheim said his offseason was unlike any he’s had before. He worked with the Flyers’ training staff on a strength and weight training program that resulted in the aforementioned 15 pounds of mostly muscle. At nearly 200 pounds, he said he’s feeling the benefits during camp and in preseason games. He feels stronger on the puck, battling opponents on the boards. It all seems to be clicking. Sanheim has been the best defenseman in training camp.

“I’m hoping he’s trying to make a statement. I really am,” Flyers coach John Tortorella said of Sanheim in the early days of training camp. “Because that’s what it looks like to me on the ice, at least the first few days here. He’s trying to make a statement, saying ‘I’m coming at you, and I’m going to show you.’ I hope he continues to have that attitude.”

The camp performance came on the heels of a conversation the player and coach had during the offseason. Sanheim pushed back on the notion that he and Tortorella didn’t get along last year, but said they know each other a little bit better now. Their summer chat wasn’t all about hockey. They talked about things like Sanheim’s family farm in Manitoba and the harvest. Tortorella likes him some land, too, but mostly as it relates to animals.

They did talk about hockey, as well, and Sanheim said the chat was beneficial.

“Some of the areas he wanted me to work on are areas I know where I wanted to be better anyway,” he said.

» READ MORE: Inside Flyers star Sean Couturier’s 21-month journey to get back on the ice

The offseason remake of this Flyers roster included trading Ivan Provorov, the team’s top defenseman over the last few seasons. Provorov played 24 minutes per game over his seven season with the Flyers. There are minutes up for grabs, and opportunity knocks.

The Flyers would like nothing more than for Sanheim to grab the reins. They’re going to give him every opportunity to do so, too. Just look at Friday night’s preseason game in Boston. Sure, the key word there is preseason, but Sanheim was the do-it-all defenseman the Flyers locked him up to be. He played 28 minutes in an overtime game, which included more than three minutes of power-play time and more than two minutes on the penalty kill. He tallied four shots on goal, was plus-one, and had three hits. The Flyers are also having him work more on the right side, which he has done in the past.

At times during camp, Sanheim has skated with veteran defenseman Marc Staal, who last season in Florida helped Brandon Montour, an offensive-minded defenseman, to have his most productive offensive season with 73 points. The two probably won’t be a pair all season for the Flyers — Tortorella said tha Staal, 36, likely won’t be an every-night defenseman — but Sanheim said Staal’s nature as a stay-at-home, steady defenseman could help him break out.

In some ways, Sanheim has the keys. The Flyers have been open about their rebuild, but rebuilds, Sanheim and other players have acknowledged, last as long as players want them to last. A $50 million defenseman taking a big leap goes a long way.

“It looks to me, with Travis, that he’s a little bit no-nonsense and he’s trying to stand out,” Tortorella said. “If some older guys or more veteran guys take to that, it speeds things up and it’s just great for the kids to see.”

“I think we have the right mindset and we have a lot of good pieces in here,” Sanheim said. “We’re going to continue to keep building on that.

“I love the city of Philly. I love the Flyers organization. All of that. If we can get a winning environment here … I remember playing in the playoffs. It’s unbelievable. If we can get back there and get back to winning it’s going to be exciting for this organization and this city.”

There’s a reason he signed here, Sanheim said. He wants to be here. He wants to be accountable. He wants to be depended on.

“It’s kind of up to me I guess,” Sanheim said.

A destiny he controls, an ironic reality given how the summer started.