A True Canadian Hero by: Massimo Schiano

Photo Credit - Megan DeRuchie - The Hockey News

This coming February, four of the best international hockey teams will be competing in the Four Nations Face Off. This will be a showing of the best of the best in the sport. While the tournament is extremely close, the rosters have not been set, at least not to the public. One of the teams is competing is Canada, obviously. While they do have some powerhouses on D, here’s a sneaky player I can see cutting the roster.

Travis Sanheim has been everything Flyers fans have dreamed of on the blueline this year. While his offensive numbers don’t quite compare to Canada’s elite defensemen, his defense has been amongst the best in the league.

With 50+ blocks so far this year, he’s above many of the favorites to make the roster. This is going to play a huge role for Canada. Their goaltending isn’t what it used to be. They went from having to choose between Price and Fleury to Aidn Hill and Jordan Binnington. Considering the lack of goaltending, a top notch shot blocker is definitely what Canada needs.

On top of the shot blocking, Sanheim brings a huge amount of size to the roster. 6’4 and 222lbs is a big body that can bully forwards around. His defensive production has been above and beyond his previous seasons and it shows.

Lastly, Sanheim, while not being extremely productive on the scoresheet, is a big part of the Flyers offense. The Flyers defense has been huge on the forecheck this season and he’s no exception. With 14 points so far, Sanheim is the team’s third highest scorer. That’s ahead of guys like Sean Couturier, Owen Tippett, and Scott Laughton. He isn’t at the offensive caliber of the Canadian favorites, but he could provide some big time plays for their counter attack and forecheck.

While Canada has some elite options at D, Sanheim could be a sneaky crack as their 7th defenseman. Now, I’m not saying it’s a lock. There’s a really good chance Sanheim doesn’t make the team, but there’s a solid case to be made. He really could provide an elite defensive game that Canada could be looking for. The rosters for all four teams will be unveiled on Wednesday, December 4th.

Photo Credit - Kyle Ross- Imagn Images