No player likes to come out of the lineup, whether it's because of an injury or a coaching decision. So showing frustration with the latter is not a surprise. But when you're unsure of the reason why you aren't playing, that can become an issue.
Cam York was recently scratched when the Flyers took on the Seattle Kraken on Saturday. It was the second time this season that the defenseman was taken out of the lineup as a coaching decision. The first was not long after York returned from a shoulder injury at the end of November.
York made it loud and clear that he did not agree with the decision and the lack of communication as to why.
“Whatever he thinks, I don’t know. If there was communication, then maybe I would understand. But I’m just not sure, really. I’m gonna play as hard as I can here. This last little stretch of games here, just want to play some of the best hockey that I can.” York said after practice on Tuesday.
This is not the first time that a player has accused John Tortorella of not being forthcoming about a benching. Most notably, Sean Couturier had a similar response last season when he was benched shortly after being named captain. Being a leader doesn't excuse anyone from accountability, but when you've had multiple players unsure of why they're not playing, it can lead to plenty of frustration.
Tortorella was a bit more open with the media when it came to what he wants to see more of from York.
“Movement of the puck, closing out. A litany of things. He’s just been average for me, through all of his game.”
York didn't shy away from the fact that his game has been inconsistent this season. But he still believes he's playing some of the best defensive hockey of his career. And he's not wrong about that. York ranks third on the team, amongst those who regularly play, with a 49.65 Corsi for percentage. Only Emil Andrae and Owen Tippett are better.
The Flyers haven't scored as much with York on the ice, but he's doing a better job at preventing goals. His 35.18 expected goals against is the best he has posted since 2021-22, though he played in far fewer games that season. Defensemen can typically take a longer time than forwards to develop as they are responsible for more on the ice.
York is 24 and has only played one full 82-game season in the NHL. But still, he's not the same 21-year-old that needed to be challenged after being sent to the AHL. Even though Tortorella believes that a similar type of pushback can warrant the same results as it did back then.
But York doesn't appear to see it that way at all, which highlights another issue.
“I mean, I’m not playing to prove him anything,” York said. “I’m playing for the guys in this locker room and the logo on my chest. I’m not playing for him, necessarily, if that makes sense.”
Whether or not that was an indirect shot at Tortorella will never be known. But it wasn't a glowing review either. York was back in the lineup on Sunday and has remained there since. He's not going to reach the same offensive numbers (10 G, 20 A) that he put up last season, which York believes is puck luck more than any other issues.
He does have a slightly better shooting percentage at 5-on-5 and is creating nearly as many chances as he did last season. Especially on the high-danger side of things. But the puck still isn't going in as frequently.
The other numbers back up the claim from York that he's playing well on the other side of the puck. The numbers don't always matter, though. York is at the mercy of his head coach who can decide to take him out of the lineup whenever he chooses. The problem with that is Tortorella is looking for the player who he believed wanted to prove him wrong in prior years. Not the player York is now.
He believes that it's fair to keep looking for that. And York doesn't agree with that. The issue is not that York doesn't agree. It's that he's not being given a reason to feel any other way.
Things were later hashed out between Couturier and Tortorella so maybe the same will happen for York.