The Philadelphia Flyers have to be thrilled with the development of defenseman Cam York to this point. Just 23 years of age, he was an essential piece for Philadelphia’s top defensive pairing in 2023-24.
For York to be at his absolute best, the Flyers will want to acquire a long-term defensive partner for him. As it stands, it doesn’t seem like they have it. Why is having someone like this so important, and how can they go about solving this issue?
York Needs Someone to Lean On
Despite likely being a few years away from his full potential, York has only made his defensive partners better. He got his first true shot in the NHL in 2022-23, playing 54 games, and he made the most of them. He primarily lined up with Ivan Provorov with the two playing 570 minutes together at even strength.
When Provorov had York by his side, he had a 2.58 expected goals against per 60 (xGA/60) and a 49.8 expected goals percentage (xGF%). When Provorov wasn’t with the youngster, he had a 3.25 xGA/60 and a 43 xGF%. This is a pretty remarkable feat considering York’s age, having a night-and-day impact like that, but it shows that he needed a better player by his side.
Travis Sanheim was an upgrade for York, as the two shared a 2.52 xGA/60 and a 50.5 xGF% in 1,093 even-strength minutes on the first pairing, but he was still not a high-end partner. With a 50.1 xGF% in 396 non-Sanheim minutes despite playing nearly 25 percent of that ice time with newcomer Jamie Drysdale who was still catching up to speed, York was arguably better without his season-long partner.
Unless Drysdale can hit his absolute ceiling or prospect Oliver Bonk can take a massive leap in his age-20 season and beyond, it doesn’t seem like the Flyers have York’s long-term partner in their system. At least, not an adequate one — this is something that needs to change.
As second-pairing players and below, the Flyers can make great use of Sanheim, Drysdale, and Bonk. In fact, they could be elite defenders in that sort of role. The fact that York is still more than young enough to make more strides in his career suggests he has earned a top-pairing spot for the future. Now, it’s just about finding the right player to be alongside him.
So far, York hasn’t had a player he can exactly lean on. Throughout his time in the NHL, it could be argued that others are the ones leaning on him. The benefit of playing together was somewhat mutual regarding Sanheim, but he had one of the best seasons of his career for a reason — York definitely played a role.
While York can be an elite defenseman in the NHL, that doesn’t mean he is in a spot to be the major difference-maker for his line. Instead, he would probably be best suited with a high-end defender by his side. If York has someone who can help him play to his maximum potential, it would likely put the Orange and Black in a position to contend for the Stanley Cup in the future. A top-notch first pairing is a major step into becoming a contender. The 23-year-old is a great half of an elite pairing, but another half is needed to make a whole.
Flyers Should Consider Canucks’ Filip Hronek
Acquiring a somewhat young, top-pairing, preferably right-handed defender is not an easy thing to do in the NHL. Regarding the trade market, essentially the Flyers’ only option both now and potentially for a while is Filip Hronek of the Vancouver Canucks. Still 26, he played high-end minutes in Vancouver and showed some offensive prowess.
Hronek’s offensive production cooled down as time went on, but he still had 48 points (37 even-strength) in 81 games in the regular season. He is a smart offensive zone player and a phenomenal passer with a terrific shot. He didn’t have the best defensive numbers, but he got better with time and has shown defensive upside in his past. There’s a path to him being a very solid partner for York.
York has yet to unlock the offensive upside he showed with the U.S National Team Development Program (USNTDP), where he had the second-highest single-season point total (65) ever recorded by a defenseman, but the tools are there. He has shown flashes of this offensive potential at the NHL level, but it has not been shown on the stat sheet; it’s just about being more comfortable taking risks. Hronek can aid York’s improvement in this through his experience and on-ice play.
While the Canucks have more than enough cap space to spend in the offseason, Hronek is a restricted free agent (RFA) who should earn a long-term deal. Whether or not Vancouver is up to that is a mystery at this time. Likely, if they get an offer good enough, they’d be willing to trade his rights away.
Any trade talks are just speculation at this point, but perhaps Hronek’s partner in Vancouver, Quinn Hughes, has surpassed the need for a high-level player by his side — he is a 2023-24 Norris Trophy finalist. The Flyers would have to make a pretty good offer to pry Hronek from the Canucks, but he is definitely not off of the table.
Projecting Hronek’s deal, he’ll likely want to pounce on his great 2023-24 campaign with an eight-year deal. For a player of his caliber, anywhere in the $7.5-8.5 million range seems to be fair from an average annual value (AAV) standpoint.
Flyers Can Draft York’s Partner Instead
If the Flyers don’t want to commit both assets and money to York’s long-term defensive partner right away, they can always just draft one. Whether it be in the upcoming 2024 NHL Draft or beyond, doing this is certainly a smart idea.
Unfortunately, the Flyers seem to be out of the range of the best defensive prospects for the 2024 class. However, if players like Zeev Buium or Zayne Parekh can fall, that might just be Philadelphia’s ticket to an elite top pairing. Even Carter Yakemchuk, who should be available for them at 12th overall, could be a future stud on the blue line if he reaches his ceiling.
Related: 4 Flyers Targets With 12th Overall Pick in the 2024 NHL Draft
Even if the Flyers opt not to draft a defender with their 12th pick, they should still have plenty of time to land and develop a top-pairing player. They don’t exactly need to use a top-end pick to acquire this defenseman, either — defenders can be hit-or-miss. Since they aren’t contending at this very moment, this problem isn’t very pressing. Also, it wouldn’t be fair to rule out Drysdale and Bonk as future first-pairing players.
While adding a true first-pairing defenseman for York is something to monitor, the Flyers should have it under control. They have plenty of time to make a move happen. No matter the approach, getting a high-end partner for York could help shoot the Orange and Black back into true contention status for the first time in over a decade.