Flyers cut top prospect Cam York, nine others to bring training camp roster down to 34

As John Tortorella watched a quiet Cam York walk out after finding out he was being sent back to the AHL, the Flyers coach felt satisfied that it had been a positive meeting.

“We were all honest with him, honest with him of what improvement we need out of him, but also in the way we project him to be,” Tortorella said. “I think that’s important that he hangs his hat on that.”

» READ MORE: Tanner Laczynski is ready to show ‘what he’s really capable of’ as he pushes to make the Flyers

But you’d have to ask York if he feels the same, Tortorella added.

When the Flyers trimmed their roster to 34 Wednesday morning, York was the biggest and most surprising name out of the 10 players who were cut. The list includes Tyson Foerster, Olle Lycksell, Adam Ginning, Adam Karashik, Pat Nagle, Adam Brooks, Max Willman, Louie Belpedio, and J.R. Avon. Brooks, Willman, and Belpedio must clear waivers before heading to Lehigh Valley, while Avon will report to Peterborough of the Ontario Hockey League.

York hadn’t had the best camp — an opinion Tortorella hasn’t been shy about sharing — but he was the organization’s first draft pick (No. 14 overall) under general manager Chuck Fletcher in 2019.

The 21-year-old York has played 33 career games for the Flyers, partnering with defensemen up and down the lineup. Last year on a struggling team, he held his own against skilled forwards and tough, checking forwards. At the end of the season, Fletcher spoke highly of York, emphasizing what he means to the team’s future.

“Cam York, to me, is a young man that is going to have a very bright future in this league,” Fletcher said. “Precisely because the attributes he brings are exactly what we need in terms of the ability to go back at the puck, skate [it] if it needs to be skated, make the quick first pass, and if that’s not there, find the second option. He has all those abilities, and not every defenseman does.”

The defenseman stayed in Voorhees through the summer to work out. He came back bigger and stronger, but it wasn’t his physical attributes that Tortorella took issue with. It was his mental toughness.

“I think he’s a pretty laid-back kid,” Tortorella said. “I don’t want to change his personality. I’d just like him to change his personality on the ice. ... Everybody thinks [mental toughness] is banging, fighting. Mental toughness, to me, is handling situations and taking control of it. I have not seen that.”

In training camp, York showed flashes of who he could be if he put the mental and physical parts of the game together, but he didn’t get all the way there, Tortorella said. So he’s going to spend more time with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

It’s not a punishment, Tortorella said. They’re not “throwing him away.” It’s what is best for York’s development.

“I think it’s the perfect situation for him,” Tortorella said. “I know it seems like he’s a high pick, and it’s a big deal with sending him down. I don’t think it is. I think it’s the right thing to do.”

Top-pair defenseman Ivan Provorov played in only one preseason game and then sat out the following practices with a lower-body injury. He returned Tuesday but got hit in the face. He’s feeling good and should be at 100% by the season opener, he said, but he’s being cautious.

“We don’t start the regular season for another nine days,” Provorov said. “So, obviously, preseason is important. But to try to go out there yesterday and try to force it a little bit wasn’t — we didn’t think it was the right call.”

Provorov isn’t worried that the time out will affect his chemistry with his new defensive partner, Tony DeAngelo — he said that usually develops during the regular season — but he has missed participating in camp with the team.

“If I show up 10 minutes early, I feel like I’m late,” Provorov said. “So being away from that even, whatever, three, four days it’s been tough.”

» READ MORE: NHL futures: Will the Philadelphia Flyers have the worst record in the NHL?

With York gone, four defensemen are left competing to be Justin Braun’s defensive partner on the third pair. Veterans Nick Seeler and Kevin Connauton were both a part of the team last season, and Seeler, in particular, has stood out this preseason. Young players Ronnie Attard, 23, and Egor Zamula, 22, also remain. Attard gained points with Tortorella after dropping the gloves Tuesday night, but Tortorella said both are likely to start the season in the minors.

A handful of forwards continue to battle for positions, including Wade Allison, Noah and Jackson Cates, Morgan Frost, Hayden Hodgson, Tanner Laczynski, Zack MacEwen, and Owen Tippett. Other than Noah Cates, no one have risen far above the others, leading Tortorella to say he expects the roster to be fluid, with movement back and forth between the AHL and NHL.

The Flyers also still have four goalies on the roster. Tortorella said he has no clue what the goalie situation will look like, with starter Carter Hart and potential backup Felix Sandström dealing with lower-body injuries. He added that competition for the backup job is fierce between Sandström and the other two goalies, Troy Grosenick and Samuel Ersson.

The 34-man roster also includes six players who are not expected to be available for the opener on Oct. 13 against the New Jersey Devils. Patrick Brown (back), Bobby Brink (hip), Sean Couturier (back), Ryan Ellis (groin/hip), Joel Farabee (neck), and Cooper Marody (upper body) are all still dealing with injuries. Farabee is skating and has not officially been ruled out for the opener.

Center Artem Anisimov, who is on a professional tryout, also remains on the roster even though he has not participated since Sept. 25 because of a lower-body injury. Factoring in those who are injured and the two goalie cuts to come, the Flyers now have 26 skaters. The Flyers need to submit their official 23-man roster on Monday.