3 Thoughts From Worlds: Ersson Makes His Case, Flyers Forwards Stand Out, & Sanheim’s Progression

BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 17: Teammates flock to congratulate Team Sweden goalie Samuel Ersson (30) after a 4 Nations Face-Off game between Team Sweden and Team United States on February 17, 2025, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

It’s been a while since I’ve done a “3 Flyers Thoughts” story. The Flyers have not played a game in quite some time, and this sort of story was typically in the post-game rotation.

Now that the Flyers have their coach, the news has hit a little lull until the June draft window really opens.

However, the Flyers sent four players to the World Championships, and each had a solid tournament, leaving plenty to think about moving forward.

Ersson Continues to Make His Olympic Case

Flyers netminder Sam Ersson has had yet another impressive outing at the international stage. Ersson split duties in the Swedish net with two other goaltenders, but primarily New Jersey Devil’s goalie Jacob Markstrom.

At the 4 Nations Face-Off, Ersson made the most of his one start of the tournament, holding Team USA scoreless for roughly 59 minutes of hockey. During the 2025 World Championships, Ersson allowed more than one goal, but his goals-against average was just over one.

In five games for Sweden, Ersson had a 1.16 GAA, a .934 save percentage, and a 4-0-0 record. It was a great conclusion to a phenomenal international run for Ersson in 2025.

While that may not directly affect the Flyers as an organization, it greatly improves Ersson’s chance at representing Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, which is a goal of his.

It will be a tight competition, as Markstrom, Linus Ullmark of the Ottawa Senators, and Filip Gustavsson of the Minnesota Wild will all be competing against Ersson for what will likely be three spots on the Olympic roster.

To solidify his case, Ersson will have to carry his international success over to his play with the Philadelphia Flyers. Hopefully, that is precisely what happens.

Flyers Forwards Stand Out

The Flyers sent two forwards to Worlds, Travis Konecny and Tyson Foerster, both representing Canada.

While Konecny was far more impressive numbers-wise than Foerster, Foerster stood out as well because he was in his first international competition since the 2022 World Juniors.

Konecny’s 13 points tied him with Nathan MacKinnon for the lead on Canada’s team, and fourth in the tournament. Konecny tallied his 13 points with three goals and 10 assists.

The Flyers’ forward is definitely on the bubble regarding the Canadian Olympic roster. Playing at Worlds, and playing well, was definitely an essential step for Konecny if he wants to play in the 2026 Winter Olympics. At Four Nations, Konecny bounced around as the 12th/13th forward, and will likely be right around that spot come Olympic roster time. Like Ersson, he is going to need to have a great first half of the year for the Flyers, but his time at Worlds will undoubtedly help.

Foerster had three points with two goals and just one assist, though it was a sweet feed. Again, three points in an international competition are not all that impressive. However, for his first time wearing a Canadian sweater since he was a junior, it was a good showing for Foerster.

Foerster is not going to be considered for the Canadian roster, so unlike Konecny and Ersson, playing in Worlds did not mean all that. However, it was a great experience for the Flyers’ young forward to build off his phenomenal end of the season, learn from some active greats, and keep playing competitive hockey.

Foerster began to show how good he can be toward the end of the season, so extending it was only a benefit to the Flyers.

Sanheim’s Progression

New Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet had a lot of good to say about Travis Sanheim. The Flyers top-defenseman made a lasting impression on Tocchet at Four Nations. If it was never really clear before, Sanheim is starting to grow into his top-pair workhorse role that the Flyers need from him.

The opportunity to play at Four Nations for Sanheim may have been a bit of a shock at first, but like Ersson, he made the most of it. Injuries gave him a shot, and he did not look back. He was even trusted to start overtime in the Gold Medal Game.

Sanheim had another great showing at Worlds. While in February, he was more of a defensive defenseman, he showed a bit more of his offensive prowess at the World Championships. In eight games, Sanheim had two goals and one assist for three points, and a rating of +6.

He was not as pure of a defender this time around, but his offensive game seemingly took a step.

From Four Nations until now Sanheim has posted an identical statline to that of his from worlds, scoring two goals and an assists for three points in the final 25 games of the season. The Flyers blueliner definitely showed a regression in his offensive game, but became a true workhorse for the Flyers.

Now, the Flyers will hope he continues to progress, and piece together his two-way production with his workhorse mentality, and truly get that top-pair defender they need.