For better, and sometimes for worse, the 2025-26 season has been all about perceived draft wins and losses for the Philadelphia Flyers.
For example, they drafted Cutter Gauthier, who now leads the NHL in goals, but were effectively forced to trade him to Anaheim to Jamie Drysdale, who’s playing the best hockey of his NHL career, and a second-round pick that became Jack Murtagh.
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Fans still like to talk about the selection of defenseman Cam York, too, who was drafted ahead of Montreal sniper Cole Caufield. What many haven’t realized yet is that York, 24, has been one of the very best defensemen in the league this season.
After needing to recover from an injury sustained at the end of the preseason, the former No. 14 overall pick has quietly racked up a goal, eight assists, and nine points in just 11 games, placing him 22nd in scoring amongst all blueliners.
And, York could be even higher in scoring, given he reached nine points in fewer games than Thomas Harley, Rasmus Dahlin, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson (14 games).
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He’s not just getting finishing luck or anything like that, either. The Flyers are legitimately relying on York in heavy minutes, and the results have been the results.
Cam York is legitimately thriving playing massive minutes for the Flyers. (Evolving-Hockey)
Through 11 games, York’s 24:55 average ice time ranks ninth in the entire NHL, trailing only Mike Matheson, Jackson LaCombe, Moritz Seider, Miro Heiskanen, Cale Makar, teammate Travis Sanheim, Zach Werenski, and Quinn Hughes.
That’s pretty good company.
Further to that point, York has recorded more points than five of those players, including Hughes, of all players.
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Will that last? Probably not, given Hughes is a perennial Norris Trophy finalist who has been better than a point-per-game producer in each of his last two seasons.
At the same time, though, Hughes did that playing for Rick Tocchet, who now coaches York and the Flyers.
There’s some real potential for York to reach heights we’ve never seen before or thought possible if he can keep up this pace.
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Eleven games into the season, York is already just eight points from matching his total of 17 from all of last season, which came in 66 appearances.
His career-high 30 points in 2023-24 looks like it will be handily shattered barring injury or a disastrous collapse from the team, too.
With four points in his last two games, the surging York is looking like a pretty good draft choice after all.
