Photo Credit: Our very own Michael Reaves
Last season was a figuring out year for the Flyers and their proud faithful. They struggled at times, were good at times, and were downright awful at times. It was a bit of a roller coaster. However, they did play hard through all of this. This year has been different, and this young Flyers team seems to be righting the ship from how they first started the season, to include the growth of Cam York.
Cam York is ready to take the next step in his development, and he’s become one of the Flyers best defenders in the same process, “Yeah, I mean that’s something I try to do every game. Obviously, some games it doesn’t work out, you know, I hear about it. Like Tortorella said, he’s on me often about it and it’s something that I try to bring every game (200ft game). Obviously sometimes it doesn’t go my way, or I’ll make a mistake or a turnover and it doesn’t end up well, but it’s something when I feel like I’m playing my best I am really aggressive and I think he sees that too,” York said before his recent upper body injury.
York has become a better and more resilient player. He has matured, and York has taken a leadership role while playing very well on the top pairing unit with Travis Sanheim. People want to see York, Drysdale, Egor Zamula, and Emil Andrae play during this rebuild. All of these aforementioned players should get another shot or get a shot to see what they have at some point this season.
“If they are having dinner together, they might talk hockey. If I ever heard that this was going on, I’d wet my pants (Laughing),” John Tortorella said of Jamie Drysdale’s and York’s relationship off the ice last year.
It appears York wanted to help the Flyers right the ship from last season, as he vowed to take the next step in his development. Mind you, York trained and dieted in Voorhees, NJ throughout the Summer in preparations for the 2024-25 season.
“He’s probably one of our better defensemen.” – John Tortorella said following practice on 2-5-24
Now those are some big words coming from his Head Coach, but Tortorella is right. He has become a confident blueliner during his short tenure in the NHL, and his growth he has displayed this season has been astronomical. One of the best qualities he possesses is on the offensive side of the puck, his shot accuracy. He hits the net nine times out of ten, and he showed that while quarterbacking the top Power Play unit at times last season. York was great with cycling the puck, and holding the pucks in at the blue line thus extending zone play for the Flyers. These are attributes he was known for while playing with a renown program like the University of Michigan.
York appears confident on the left side, as opposed to the right side. He obviously has become an NHL mainstay, as he is gaining more valuable experience in the NHL. Today he returns to the lineup from from an injury that has sidelined him for the past few weeks, and he will be welcomed by many throughout the Flyers lineup.
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Emil Andrae
Emil Andrae will return to the lineup today for the Flyers as they host the Chicago Blackhawks. To make room for both York and Andrae today, Anthony Richard has been sent back to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Egor Zamula and Erik Johnson will not play.
