A pending restricted free agent last season, Cam York was engulfed by trade rumors. One of former Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella’s favorite whipping boys, a perceived decline in performance didn’t help the 24-year-old’s case. With the time on his previous contract up, it felt like one of two scenarios was destined to play out this summer: a trade or a bridge deal.
But neither of those happened. Instead, York put pen to paper on a five-year contract worth $5.15 million annually, or $25.75 million total. Taking a legitimate gamble on the left-shot defenseman’s upside, the Flyers revealed long-term belief in his potential—a wild turn of events.
Summarizing York’s NHL Career to This Point
York, a first-round pick in 2019, had brief stints with the Flyers in 2020–21 and 2021–22 with mixed results. After failing to earn an opening night roster spot in 2022–23, the young defender reached his lowest point. But upon being called up from the American Hockey League (AHL) around mid-season, he played arguably the best hockey of his career.
In what can be considered York’s first full-time role with the Orange and Black, his impact at both ends of the ice was impressive. From the time of his call-up until the end of the season (Dec. 9 to April 13), here were the Flyers’ splits with and without York at 5-on-5 action.
| Stats, 5-on-5 | Flyers with York | Flyers without York |
| Actual Goal Differential (%) | 38–38 (50.00%) | 70–85 (45.16%) |
| Expected Goal Differential (%) | 41.34–35.92 (53.50%) | 74.42–82.21 (47.51%) |
That season, York averaged 19:39 of ice time and played most of his minutes next to Ivan Provorov. In 54 games, the then-22-year-old recorded 20 points and a minus-1 rating on a Flyers team that finished seventh-last in the standings. A highly effective puck-mover with solid defensive results, building on his promising campaign was the next step. Unfortunately, it never happened.
It’s a widely held opinion that York’s peak was in 2023–24, and he took a sizable step back in 2024–25. The stats test, however, disagrees (and so does my eye test)—his ability to create offense diminished considerably. Seemingly in survival mode most shifts, a player who looked to have top-pairing potential couldn’t quite handle that workload, at least under Tortorella’s watch.
Cam York, signed 5x$5.2M by PHI, is a serviceable top four two-way defenceman. pic.twitter.com/FSr0hxvMmX
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 7, 2025
The Flyers’ late-season coaching change and subsequent hiring of Rick Tocchet leave room for optimism. But ultimately, that’s where we stand—this chapter is incomplete.
Putting York’s Contract in Perspective
For a five-year deal, the Flyers got some bang for their buck. This offseason, fellow defensemen Kevin Bahl and Nicolas Hague signed similar contracts. This is notable for a few reasons. Of the three, York is the youngest, plays the most, and is objectively the best. Their age, contracts, and Wins Above Replacement percentile (WAR%) over the last three seasons are listed below—the latter is courtesy of JFreshHockey.
| Player | Age | Contract Length, Cap Hit | Three-Season WAR% |
| Kevin Bahl | 25 | Six Years, $5.35 Million | 29% |
| Nicolas Hague | 26 | Four Years, $5.5 Million | 41% |
| Cam York | 24 | Five Years, $5.15 Million | 69% |
Comparisons aside, York will be making chump change by the end of his deal due to the league’s rising cap. From 2024–25 to 2027–28, the NHL projects its cap ceiling to rise by $25.5 million, which is an 8.85% boost annually. If that percentage increase is applied through the duration of York’s contract, by the end of the deal, he’ll be making the equivalent of $3.37 million in last season’s terms.
Better yet, the Flyers theoretically locked up only York’s prime years—he’ll be 29 when it expires. Even if he stagnates from here on out, the Orange and Black are getting some sweet value.
Can Tocchet Unlock York’s Potential?
A key mission for Tocchet and the Flyers’ brand-new coaching staff is to unlock the best in York. As mentioned, the 24-year-old played a bit of survivalist hockey under Tortorella these past couple of seasons. Yet, at his best, York is highly active in all three zones and moving pucks up the ice—do the vast changes behind the bench help him return to that style?
Related: Flyers’ Rick Tocchet Hire: Glass-Half-Full, Half-Empty Arguments
York wasn’t taken 14th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft for no reason. The smart, mobile two-way defender has shown flashes of what made him a great prospect, but hasn’t put it all together. If Tocchet and Co. are able to work their magic, a top-pairing player may be the result.
The Flyers could’ve signed York to a short-term contract, making him prove without a shadow of a doubt that he deserves to be a long-term fixture in Philadelphia. But they chose a different approach. The five-year, $25.75 million extension shows that the Flyers believe in the blueliner’s talent.
Stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick, unless specified otherwise
