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The Philadelphia Flyers‘ pair of Travii finally got the word on their Olympic fates on Wednesday. As expected, the news was alternately good and bad.
Defenseman Travis Sanheim was officially named to Team Canada’s 2026 Olympic roster. However, right wing Travis Konecny did not make the team.
Notably, Sanheim will be joining his head coach Rick Tocchet, an assistant on Jon Cooper’s Olympic team staff.
Why Sanheim Made The Roster
Sanheim, the team’s top defenseman, certainly helped his credentials with a strong performance at the 4 Nations Faceoff last season. The tournament acted as an in-season audition for the Olympics for him.
But it’s important to remember he started the 4 Nations Tournament as a depth defenseman. He was scratched for Canada’s first game. However, when called upon to step in for the injured Shea Theodore, he earned the trust of Cooper’s coaching staff, which included Tocchet.
“We all talked about ‘man, this guy can play,’ Tocchet said, during his introductory press conference. “And then when he made the roster, how well he played in the 4 Nations. I’m telling you, I was behind that bench and that’s high-level stuff. I had the best seat in the house.”
Consequently, Sanheim’s workhorse performance this season has only strengthened his case. He’s played a career high 24:38 per game and is at the heart of the Flyer’s surprising first half run. The club has 20 wins in their first 38 games.
That current form closely matches their 2019-20 season pace, when they last made the playoffs. As a result, that kind of team-wide success gets Sanheim attention.
In addition, there’s unique venue logistics to consider. The Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena’s ice surface will be 196.85 feet x 85.3 feet, smaller than the NHL’s 200 feet x 85 feet standard. This makes for a wider, but shorter rink. And it certainly plays into the team’s roster construction which seemingly favors bigger players.
Accordingly, Sanheim is 6’4, 222 lbs and plays physically. That makes him a natural fit.
Why Konecny Didn’t (And Might Not At All)
It wasn’t surprising that Konecny wasn’t named to Team Canada. While he was on the 4 Nations Roster, the thought is that there were three things that worked against him.
First, his slow start to the season hurt his candidacy, specifically when it came to goal scoring. During the first 23 games of the season, Konecny scored only five goals. More damningly, he didn’t score a goal between November 6 through December 3.
While Konecny has surged with seven goals and 16 points in December, that early season scoring inconsistency hurt his chances. Especially when battling for spots against Tampa’s Brandon Hagel, Florida’s Brad Marchand, and others. Also, he might have to contend with fellow Canadian roster snubs in Carolina’s Seth Jarvis or Dallas’ Wyatt Johnston if injuries hit the roster.
While Sanheim was able to build trust in big spots during the 4 Nations, Konecny found himself on the outside looking in. He played in two games during the tournament and didn’t register a point.
Finally, Team Canada’s roster construction puts Konecny in a difficult spot to find his way on the roster even if injuries happen between now and February. The selection of Washington’s Tom Wilson is telling, with his size and style of play on the shorter rink surface tipping Canada’s hand.
Additionally, Canada has historically shown a preference for prioritizing centers who can play on the wing, so it’s very possible that Chicago’s Connor Bedard, Florida’s Sam Bennett, and Winnipeg’s Mark Schiefele will get consideration before Konecny.
There has been a lot of anticipation for the Olympic Tournament, the first for NHL players since 2014. It begins on February 11 with three preliminary games and concludes with the Gold Medal game on February 22.
Zamula Traded To Penguins For Tomasino
As the clock winds down to the end of the year, recently waived defenseman Egor Zamula finds himself in new surroundings to start 2026.
The Flyers traded Zamula to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for forward Philip Tomasino.
Tomasino, a 2019 first round pick, was assigned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Zamula’s lack of progression in his play from his rookie season, along with the emergence of Emil Andrae and Ty Murchison, put him on the organizational exit ramp. Once Rasmus Ristolainen returned from injury, his fate seemed sealed. Subsequently, he was waived two weeks ago and assigned to the Phantoms.
Unfortunately, Zamula’s struggles in play processing and decision making proved to be his undoing during his time in Philadelphia. As the Holiday Roster Freeze ended, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Zamula and his agent Dan Milstein was seeking a contract termination.
What The Flyers Are Getting In Tomasino
However, Friedman reported the Flyers preferred a trade, ideally for a player who can help at the AHL level or, later this season, at the NHL level. In acquiring Tomasino, it appears they got their wish.
However, NHL-level expectations should be tempered. The 24 year old Tomasino is joining his third NHL organization.
Originally the Nashville Predators’ 2019 24th overall pick, Tomasino got traded to the Penguins for a 2027 fourth round pick. After a solid rookie season in 2021-22 (11 goals, 32 points in 76 games), Tomasino seemed to fall out of favor in Nashville.
Notably, Tomasino scored six game-winning goals for the Penguins in 2024-25, which was second on the team to Sidney Crosby. He finished last season with 11 goals, 23 points, and a minus-10 rating in 50 games.
While the 6-foot forward only played nine games for Pittsburgh this season, Tomasino had been performing well for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. With the Penguins’ AHL affiliate, Tomasino had 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) and a plus-12 rating in 14 games.
For that reason, he’s an upgrade for the Phantoms forward group. He might be a possible NHL call-up candidate later in the season, as he has 31 goals and 95 points in his NHL career.
