One player who probably deserves to be more recognized as one of the NHL’s promising young players is Cam York of the Philadelphia Flyers. Somewhat quietly, he has put up back-to-back sensational seasons in just his age-22 and age-23 campaigns.
For York, his defensive upside seems to be the greatest. He was one of the better first-pairing defensemen at preventing scoring chances for opponents in 2023-24, and he did so despite being on a Flyers team that was supposed to be rebuilding. There’s a lot to like about his game, so he was naturally named Philadelphia’s most-improved player.
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What’s really interesting is York’s offensive upside. He had just 10 goals and 20 assists for 30 points in 82 games, but his value as a scorer goes deeper than that. What might he look like at his offensive peak based on his most recent season?
York’s Contributions at Even Strength
At even strength, York showed a little bit of a scoring flair. That isn’t necessarily obvious when looking at his 10 goals and 12 assists for 22 points in even situations, but his play is more inspiring when dissecting how he contributed to the Flyers’ offense. Three of those goals were empty-netters, so his numbers were just a tad inflated in that regard.
York was competent on the rush for the Flyers, scoring four goals and seven assists for 11 points in those situations. He wasn’t afraid to jump in the play or act as a trailer for support, which is pretty interesting seeing as his defensive metrics were far better than his offensive ones. His undoing was, mainly, Philadelphia’s reliance on this rush scoring. He was good in this role, but it’s not great when a two-way defender has over a third of his offense on even-strength rushes. There is clearly more to unlock, here.
When York had possessions when the Flyers had established offensive zone time, he had two goals and six assists at even strength. At times, he dazzled with the offensive skill that he showed with the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP) as a youngster — he has the second-best single-season scoring mark among defensemen in program history for a reason.
It wasn’t necessarily often, but York was good as a playmaker at even strength, dishing out some solid passes to teammates to set up opportunities. When he got the puck in space, he wasn’t afraid to charge the net. He displayed some nice hands and a pretty accurate shot for a defenseman, making use of it from short range.
York didn’t have a single goal all season from the point, but that’s more of a team-wide issue than something to be worried about for him as an individual. When the Flyers get more skilled players, these points and goals when he’s inside the offensive zone will come easier. The good news is that he doesn’t lack the talent to make things happen; he has shown sparks in his offensive skill and IQ.
Could York Take on a Power-Play Role?
With the arrival of defenseman Jamie Drysdale to Philadelphia and the presence of Emil Andrae in the Flyers’ system, it’s hard to see York getting a significant role on the man advantage in the future, if at all. In 2023-24, he did show that he could be a decent option there, however.
In 171 minutes of power-play ice time, York had six assists. Again, though, the Flyers’ talent deficiencies make it so this shouldn’t be taken at face value — their power play scored at an abysmal 12.2 percent rate. As a quarterback, he showed good vision. He wasn’t necessarily doing all the work on the man advantage, but his highlights suggest it might be worthwhile to give him looks.
It’s easiest for a first-line power play to get set up, given they start with an offensive-zone draw, but York could do some damage on a second unit. For all of his good even-strength qualities previously mentioned, that might be his path to being a useful player on the power play even when the Flyers better their weapons.
Projecting York’s Future Contributions
As of now, it seems like York can serve a first-pairing role for years to come. One of the better shutdown defenders with that kind of workload at just 23 years of age, his future is certainly bright. His defense is undoubtedly good and should see some improvement on a season-by-season basis, but the offense is what is really intriguing.
With the right players and on the top pair, there is a world where York can score 50 points. In fact, he could be a 60-point defender when looking at what he does well and assuming the Flyers acquire some scorers. He doesn’t project to be a point-per-game player, but he does have the smarts and the talent to really make a difference.
While York probably won’t ever win a Norris Trophy, he has the chance to be one of the better defenders in the NHL when he reaches his prime. Still very young for an NHL defenseman, York has some developing to do. His defensive upside seems apparent, but his offense could actually be a strength, too.