Yesterday, the Flyers dropped a surprise for fans in new signing on from their Twitter account. They announced they’ve signed Cam York, a 2019 draft pick, to an entry level contract with a three year term. However, the surprise aspect is he plays defense and his entry level contract begins this season.
The American-born defenseman comes from the University of Michigan and shoots left. Most recently, he played for NCAA and represented the United States in the World Junior Championships. During the national showcase, York captained the United States team, won a gold medal, and recorded 6 points (1, 5a).
Flyers Need Help on Defense
Recently, the Flyers’ defense has always been one of their most notable weak areas. More recently, the rotating door of defensemen has had a daunting affect on both the team and fans. With Shayne Gostisbehere clearing waivers and headed to the Taxi-Squad, the blue line is ridden with uncertainty. Fans question why players like Erik Gustaffsson and Nate Prosser remain in the active line up while Ghost sits night in and night out. Head coach, Alain Vigneault, credits Gostisbehere’s waiving to line up flexibility and more wiggle room in the cap.
As Ghost punched his ticket to the Taxi-Squad, the announcement of York’s signing came shortly thereafter. While this is good news for [hopefully] the near future, I would hate to see them throw a rookie into the water and hope he swims. However, it would be typical Flyers fashion to do so. It has been reported that York will start his tenure in Lehigh Valley but I don’t think it is too far off to expect an NHL debut later on.
Now, as Gostisbehere rides the bench, it opened about 1.75 million dollars in cap space leaving the Flyers with about 3.8 million dollars; this gives them the resources to create a playoff-ready defense. Cam York is only the first move of a few to come before the trade deadline as higher ups have made it abundantly clear that, simply put, this game play does not cut it.
Stay tuned on Philly Sports Network as we watch this story play out. I believe it will be an active couple of weeks for Flyers General Manager, Chuck Fletcher. The playoffs are coming fast and, if they want to see a post season berth, moves will have to be made.
Photo Credit: Alex McIntyre
