2022-23 Flyers Player Profile: Cam York
We’ve been waiting. The Flyers have been waiting. Everyone’s been waiting since 2019. When Chuck Fletcher announced that Cam York was the 14th overall selection in the NHL Draft, we’ve been waiting to see what the kid can do. Is it time? Is the wait finally over?
The Flyers have been mighty high on York over the last few years. It is part of the reason that they haven’t rushed his development over recent seasons. As players have been hit with injuries and COVID, York has stayed in the minors and in college growing and developing.
So far, York has played a grand total of 33 games; 30 of which came last year. In that time, he has scored three goals, notched seven assists, delivered 21 hits, and has been penalized three times. He also owns a plus/minus rating of -15; which isn’t bad considering he was either an injury call up or a young guy breaking in his legs at the end of a season in which the Flyers floundered around.
It’s easy to see why they are so high on the kid. York was on a gold medal winning Team USA at the World Juniors this last year. He has won several awards for playing defense for Michigan and Team USA over the last five years.
He possesses a lot of “hockey intelligence”. He sees the open ice and is smart with his passing. While he has never been a major offensive player, there is no reason why he can’t contribute to a power play by setting up the play. One of the biggest parts of his game is his speed, where he can be in position to help foil an opponent’s attack. He is not one to make a lot of mistakes; something the Flyers blueliners have been lacking as of recent seasons.
Last year was a mess, but he ended the season playing almost 20 minutes of ice time. That is good experience. He can gain more this year by being teamed up with Justin Braun on the third line or being bumped up to a top line defender if there are injuries. He could compliment Ivan Provorov, Tony DeAngelo, or Travis Sanheim as a line partner.
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If he can even be a fraction of what the Flyers are hoping he can become, then perhaps our future looks a little brighter. Coach Tortorella likes a defensive first minded system. This is somewhere where York can thrive in, if given time to develop properly. If the team buys into what Torts is selling them, look for York to be one of the coach’s guys.