Fantasy Hockey Feature: Cam York and the battle to maintain offensive upside

Reading the 2019 draft profile of Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Cam York from Elite Prospects’s own J.D. Burke, the first paragraph hits like a sack of doorknobs, “Don’t let [York’s] gaudy point totals fool you… He’s not built to run a first-unit power play at the NHL level.” Burke praised York’s skating and transition play, which often resulted in being able to efficiently move the puck. That was a sentiment echoed by Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler at The Athletic; York’s excellent skating and hockey sense allowed him to move the puck quickly and got him away from pressure.  

Paraphrasing the three analysts, they all had the same critique: A lack of explosiveness and lateral mobility had York a step below elite offensive defencemen like Quinn Hughes. That uneven profile was reflected in t