On the first night of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, the Flyers traded the 11th overall pick to the Arizona Coyotes for the 14th and 45th selections. The Flyers used the 14th pick to take Cam York, the No. 1 defenseman on the vaunted USNTDP program. Although I personally viewed some of the still-available forwards who were on the board at 11th and 14th as slightly higher "best available player" candidates, I had York as the second defenseman off the board in my mock Draft for Flyers.NHL.com.
I understand why a large percentage of Flyers fans are upset that the Flyers twice passed over pint-sized but prolific goal-scoring USNTDP winger Cole Caufield, WHL center Peyton Krebs and BCHL forward Alex Newhook and also bypassed USTDP power left winger Matthew Boldy at 11th. No team in NHL Draft history had ever taken a player as small as the 5-foot-7 Caufield in the top half of the first round -- and there tends to an almost leaguewide positional bias towards natural centers and defensemen above wingers -- but if Caufield's goal-scoring translates to the NHL, a lot of teams (including the Flyers) may regret bypassing him.
That said, if he scores at only a moderate rate in the NHL, there were more well-rounded and much less risky picks to be had. If Caufield is not a perennial 30-plus goal scorer and 25-plus in a down year, his contributions at the NHL level could be limited. Here's why: He's average as a playmaker. He has good but not world-class speed. He competes but there are going to be matchups on both sides of the puck that will give him trouble. These are the risks. The potential reward, if he pans out, is a pure sniper with not only the hands to score but the uncanny ability to find the seams.
For these reasons, I get why the teams picking in the top 14 all went elsewhere with their picks, just as much as I understand why Caufield was the most popular choice among fans of many teams in about the 7th to 14th range before Montreal took him. There is no need, however, to trash Philly's selection of York. He is a real solid prospect with a lot of upside.
York lacks size and physicality but pretty much checks every other box that one would hope for in a first-round pick: very high hockey IQ, has demonstrated he can play at a high level in all game situations, and can not only play at the pace of his elite teammates but can actually help quicken theirs because he's a really good passer. He set a USNTDP points record for defensemen this season (obviously, having so much other talent on the team helped him, too), is already a reliable defender and is extremely calm under pressure. Right now, he's the best American two-way defenseman in his age group and among the best in the world.
If York doesn't hit his offensive ceiling, he projects at least as a top 4 (top 5 in worst-case scenario) puck-mover and reliable defender in the NHL. If he does approach his ceiling, he could be an above-average point producer with power play quarterback ability on top of his two-way attributes. He'll need to add physical strength over the next couple years and continue to progress at his current rate to approach best-case scenario. York will be a Michigan University freshman in 2019-20.
For more about York,
click here. A Day 2 wrapup blog will be posted tomorrow.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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