‘Wherever I see an opportunity, I’m going to take it:’ Flyers defenseman Cam York’s offensive mindset

At the end of the very first day of Flyers training camp, coach John Tortorella put the team through a lap skate. Then, finally, a bag skate. Following a grueling day in which the team was just getting acquainted with their new head coach, Tortorella pulled then-21-year-old defenseman Cam York off to the side for a conversation, catching York off guard.

To York’s surprise, Tortorella shared in that moment that he envisioned the young defenseman as a rover in the Flyers’ system, relied upon to jump up and join the offense when the opportunity presents itself.

“I wasn’t expecting him to say that to me,” York said with a laugh. “But I like that style of game. Whenever I can join the rush and be in the play, that’s when I feel like when I’m at my best.”

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York didn’t make the Flyers out of training camp, as Tortorella opted to send him to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for further development (20 games, three goals, 10 assists). Now, York has been up with the Flyers for 20 games this season and is growing more comfortable in his role as a rover on the top pairing alongside Ivan Provorov.

As York learns to embrace this newfound task, he’s leaned on Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski for advice. The 25-year-old Werenski, who played for the U.S. National Team Development Program and the University of Michigan just like York did, was also utilized as a rover when Tortorella coached the Blue Jackets.

“He just said do your thing,” York said. “Be offensive. Don’t be worried to make mistakes, because you are going to, to make them, but it’s just about learning from them and making sure that they don’t happen twice.”

On Saturday night in the Flyers’ 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings, York flashed a sense of aggressiveness when offensive opportunities arose. Late in the first period, York jumped up and created an odd-man rush alongside wingers Joel Farabee and Travis Konecny. The play ended with his backhanded shot on goal, which Red Wings goalie Ville Husso turned aside.

“Wherever I see an opportunity, I’m going to take it,” York said. “So just saw green light there. TK made a nice play to Joel and Joel made a good pass to me. I feel like I’ve been getting a lot of good chances like that lately, just the puck hasn’t gone in the net necessarily. But I’m happy I’m getting the chances and just want to continue to put myself in positions to get them.”

In the second period, York generated another opportunity in the offensive zone. He put a spin-o-rama move on a Red Wings defender as he drove to the net, but Husso was there to make the save.

York has a goal and eight assists in his 20 games with the Flyers this season. But beyond the box score, York has adopted an aggressive offensive mindset, unbothered by the fear of making a mistake. York believes that he’s not alone.

“As a team, when things start going well offensively, you’re having more fun,” York said. “Offensively, I think we’ve come a long way since the start of the year. We’re winning games, I think, because of that. I think everyone is starting to realize that sometimes you’ve got to risk it for the biscuit, I guess.”

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After a 40-day NHL hiatus, backup goalie Felix Sandström will start in goal against the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday night, according to Tortorella.

Sandström, 25, dealt with an illness in late December that caused him to miss the Flyers’ road games against the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Carolina Hurricanes. He was loaned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for a two-week conditioning stint on Jan. 5. The Gävle, Sweden native played seven games in that span, posting a 4-1-2 record, a .911 save percentage, and a 2.39 goals against average.

In his first season as the full-time backup to Carter Hart, Sandström has played nine games for the Flyers, going 1-6-1 in his starts. He has an .888 save percentage and a 3.37 goals against average.

“I think Felix has put in some really good minutes,” Tortorella said. “We need another save. That’s the next step for him. Now, I’m not sure if that happens. He’s going to get the opportunity, but he needs to make the next save. [Then] I think you’ll see him in the win column more.”

Five of Sandström’s eight starts have come on the second night of a back-to-back, and he hasn’t won any of those games. His first and only win came on Nov. 8 against the St. Louis Blues, in which he denied 27 of 28 shots.

Tortorella does not anticipate any additional changes to the lineup against the Jets, indicating that defenseman Justin Braun and forward Kieffer Bellows will be healthy scratches. Braun, 35, has not played a game since Jan. 2.