As the 2024-25 season starts to wind down, the offseason to-do list comes into frame. For the Flyers, the biggest piece of internal business Danny Briere has to attend to is the fate of restricted free agent Cam York. The 24-year-old left-handed defenseman has 216 games of NHL experience to his name and is coming off a two-year bridge deal that carried a $1.6 million cap hit.
In the past, we’ve look at some comparable contracts to base York’s next deal on, but now, let’s weigh some options regarding whether or not the Flyers should consider trading York instead of inking him to a long term extension.
Keep
In a lot of ways, York’s very similar to his predecessor on the left side of the defense in Ivan Provorov. He’s not the most electric player, his stat sheet isn’t overly noteworthy, but he’s a guy that’s going to give you 20-25 minutes of respectable defense every night. But when that’s your M.O. it makes the defensive gaffs a bit more unforgivable, and that’s where we seem to be with York.
The push to keep York is simple, he’s a 24-year-old who’s averaging over 21 minutes of ice time. While Travis Sanheim has gotten credit for his success this season, some analytics seem to point to York’s presence being the reason Sanheim can do what he’s doing, as their numbers apart are significantly worse than they are together.
Also, some of the early contract extension rumors indicate York could clock in closer to a $6-7 million AAV rather than the $8+ million his peers are getting. If that’s the case, then it’s even more of a reason to bring him back. With the cap expected to rise in the coming few seasons, the percentage a $6 million cap hit will eat up will be minuscule in a year or two.
Screwing with a cornerstone of the defense isn’t really a necessity at the moment. It’s a frivolous move that, even with the presence of Andrae waiting in the wings (particularly since he’s not in the NHL learning how to adapt to the pace) is way too early to make.
Trade
If they would actually stumble down the path of a major roster shakeup, York presents one of the very few opportunities of a relatively easy trade. He’s a 24-year-old RFA with top pair potential. Let some other team that wants him navigate what will surely be a large extension, and York is easily the Flyers’ best trade chip to lock down a bonafide number one center.
The problem then becomes finding someone that matches the description. Would York be enough to land Marco Rossi if the Wild would still consider moving him? Maybe. But do you sacrifice the consistency of York for a player that has a much smaller sample size of success? Do you give up York for Dylan Cozens? A struggling player who may not even be a full-time center in the NHL?
Most recently, Elias Pettersson is rumored to be on the trade block, which is much closer to the caliber of player (when he’s at his peak) they would need to consider parting ways with York and would be more enticing for Vancouver than a bowl of collective slop the Flyers would offer otherwise.
Conclusion
Right or wrong, Cam York is more than likely going to be a Flyer for the foreseeable future with a sizable extension coming his way this summer. But it’s also true that the team has their backs against a wall when it comes to viable trade options on their own roster, and in the off chance Danny Briere would actually wake up and do his job, York does provide one of the few options as a potential trade chip for a top forward.
A lot of the confidence about trading York comes from the fact that the Flyers have 23-year-old Emil Andrae waiting in the wings. He’s been the Phantoms’ top defenseman for the last two seasons… but therein also lies the problem- the front office and particularly the coaching staff have done a piss poor job at transitioning him to the NHL. He played 24 games in the NHL this season, largely filling in for injuries, and was demoted when he wasn’t needed anymore.
Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the Flyers aren’t very good at developing prospects. Could Andrae be a top guy in the NHL? The answer is yes. But John Tortorella has cut his legs out from under him at every available opportunity. Andrae was the best defenseman during training camp but didn’t make the opening night roster, then he was called up to replace an injured Nick Seeler, but once again didn’t play. It wasn’t until York went down in November that Andrae finally dressed and impressed… until everyone was healthy and he was shipped back to the AHL.
So they’d be throwing Andrae right into the deep end (assuming Torts would actually utilize him as a top guy) and trading away their proven safety net in York before they have a definitive answer about Andrae’s capabilities. It’s almost like Andrae should’ve been in the NHL all season long learning and transitioning so they could clearer picture about what he brings to the table and working out any kinks. Novel concept.
If the Flyers do go “big game hunting” this season as Briere has suggested and they actually take steps forward to fill major holes, then dealing York could possibly make sense. They gotta give up a big piece to get a big piece. But trading him just so they don’t have to tango with an extension is a bad call, especially with all the other albatross deals the Flyers hand out like candy on Halloween.
It all comes down to whether or not you believe Danny Briere is capable of making a blockbuster franchise altering trade, and Tortorella letting Emil Andrae develop into an everyday NHLer.
Consider us skeptical on both counts.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
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