Flyers Future of The Blue Line Excelling After Recall

York could have sulked or thrown a (mental) fit upon being re-assigned to the AHL after having his expectations abut making the NHL, but instead the defender used the disappointment as a springboard. He put his head down and did the work needed to get back to the NHL.

While with the Phantoms to start the season, York played in 20 games in all-situations recording 3 goals and 10 assists for 13 points and a -1 rating, but most importantly, he appears to have learned how to play away from the puck and make the little plays Tortorella was looking for to finally get the awaited call back to the NHL.

Upon his return to the NHL roster, he came into the lineup in place of Tony DeAngelo, who sat one game as a healthy scratch and then left the team to tend to personal family matter. York has only played in 3 games thus far, mostly paired with Nick Seeler or (more-so) Travis Sanheim on the third or second pairs, as well as playing significant power play time, but despite the small sample size, and the lack of offense to his game so far, he has excelled away from the puck. With the puck, he has only managed to record 1 goal, but thus far he's doing exactly what Tortorella has asked and expected of him to remain in the Flyers lineup even beyond DeAngelo's imminent return to the team.

Once DeAngelo returns, it will be interesting to see how Tortorella assigns the pairs and who is pulled out of the lineup, but as of now it appears like York will remain in the top 4/5 on the defense even beyond DeAngelo's return.