Why Cam York Would Benefit From A Bridge Deal

Philadelphia Flyers' Tyson Foerster (71) celebrates with Cam York after scoring during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023. The Flyers won 4-3 in a shootout. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Cam York is due for a contract this offseason. York is an RFA and is seeking a substantial pay increase from his ELC.

Getting locked up long-term is complex for unproven players. The security of a long-term contract is comforting, but you could be leaving lots of money on the table. The same principle applies to the team itself; when offering a young, unproven player a long-term extension based on potential, you may be tying yourself to a significant financial commitment that may not be worthwhile.

This is where Cam York and the Flyers may encounter an issue during negotiations. Not much has surfaced about the negotiations between York and Philadelphia. In all honesty, things may be headed down the road of a short-term bridge deal.

York won’t be able to hit unrestricted free agency until 2028, so a two-year bridge contract would put him one year away from that, giving the Flyers one more chance to lock him up as a UFA.

The Flyers recently signed Tyson Foerster to a two-year, $7.5 million extension in what was truly a win-win deal for both ends. If York were to follow suit and sign a similar deal, it would only help him.

Why Cam York Would Benefit From a Bridge Deal

The phrase “betting on yourself” is thrown around a lot when it comes to RFA contracts. However, for many players, including York, it’s the smartest option.

If York and the Flyers were to sign long-term now, his salary would likely sit around $5.75-6.25 million. That is not a bad contract. Although the Flyers may not be willing to do so and York could leave lots of cash on the table.

Here’s the deal with York: there’s still a lot of untapped offensive potential with him. John Tortorella sort of shoved him into the mold of a lockdown defender versus the puck-moving, power-play thriving, offensive defender that he once was. I don’t think he will ever return to that complete form. However, under Rick Tocchet, I can see York becoming a more well-rounded player, doing things on all 200 feet of the ice.

That said, between the potential return to an offensive game and the rising cap, York could be worth significantly more than $6.25 million over the next two seasons.

There is also a benefit to taking a contract similar to what Foerster took.

Tyson Foerster likely could have gotten more money than the $3.75 million AAV he took. I’m still not sure why he went that low, unless it’s just a matter of his loyalty to the organization. Regardless, it allows the Flyers the opportunity to acquire more talent, which could only help the current roster.

For York, better talent could equate to improved numbers, which would help the AAV on his next contract.

It’s simple. The better York’s numbers are, the better his next contract is. If the Flyers can bring in more scorers this offseason, that could lead to more assists, and therefore more money. Or, if the Flyers acquire a new defender. If paired with York, a new blueliner could either help York’s +/- or even allow York to focus more on offense. Either way, having more talent can lead to a higher salary for York in his next contract.

A team-friendly bridge deal would only help Cam York. Do you think he’ll take one?