Transaction Analysis: York & Foerster Among Camp Roster Reductions

Roster cut down days are never fun. Never have been and never will be. The deeper into a training camp that it gets, the harder some of the roster decisions become. On Wednesday, the Flyers reduced the training camp roster from 44 to 34 players (20 forwards, 10 defensemen and four goaltenders). The totals include injured players such as defenseman Ryan Ellis and professional try-out (PTO) center Artem Anisimov.

Excluding rehabbing winger Joel Farabee (offseason neck surgery), who is expected to be medically cleared to return early in the regular season and possibly even for opening night, the Flyers now have 14 forwards remaining in camp. There are still nine healthy defensemen in camp plus four goalies.
Here's a look at the 10 players subtracted on Wednesday from the training camp roster:
Cam York (D):Assigned to Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL).
By far, the decision to send the 21-year-old York to the Phantoms for the start of the 2022-23 regular season is the highest-stakes one for the Flyers in both the short-term and long-term. After playing 30 games in the NHL with the Flyers last season, the team's 2019 first-round pick figured to be part of the team's immediate roster plan for 2022-23.
York did not have a horrid training camp. He had an uneven one, though, and it did not take long for the training camp coaching staff to publicly challenge the player to elevate his game.
First, Lehigh Valley Phantoms head coach Ian Laperriere (who coached York in Allentown for much of last season and who was behind the bench for the Flyers' first two preseason games in the current camp) stated that York still needed greater consistency in making the routine play routinely.
Later, new Flyers assistant coach Brad Shaw (who is in charge of the defense and the penalty kill and who was behind the bench as acting head coach for the third and fourth games of the preseason) said that York had to be more of a difference maker on a shift-long basis regardless of the zone where the puck is located. The coach said that the player has more to give whether he has puck possession or is off-puck.
New Flyers head coach John Tortorella put it the most bluntly of all. He said that York was just "OK" in his response to the coaching he's been receiving and that Tortorella himself was of the belief that York is capable of realizing his full potential sooner rather than later and wouldn't be coddled solely because of the spot where he was originally drafted. In fact, Tortorella said, York's high-end skills make the coach less inclined to sit and wait for the player to blossom as a professional. "Torts" wants the breakthrough to come as soon as possible.
It was clear that York was in the crosshairs and that Tortorella and his staff were dissatisfied with what they were seeing on a daily basis in camp. At the point that York got shoved assigned by New York Islanders' veteran forward Casey Cizikas on a shorthanded goal sequence in Tuesday's preseason finale, it felt like the die had been cast that York would be among the cuts the next day. Ultimately, it was not a surprise when York's name was on the roster reduction list.
After the Flyers announced the decision on Wednesday to assign York to the Phantoms, Tortorella explained the decision at length with a mixture of bluntness and compassion. The head coach also reiterated his belief in the player's upside and stated that the disappointment of going back to the AHL need not linger.
"We just feel it's the best thing for him right now in his process. I think sometimes when people are sent to the minor leagues, (people think) that it's kind of throwing them away. I think it's a perfect situation for him to go down there and play. It's a great league to train in. He's still a young man, playing the - I think it's the toughest position. I think goaltending is the most important, but defense is the toughest to play. So this is, to me, with a new coaching staff coming in, it's part of the process for him with us in trying to get him to the end goal to be that player that we think he can be in the National Hockey League," Tortorella said.
Tortorella stated that the decision to send York back to the Phantoms should not be viewed as the organization giving up on York. It's also not about skill development per se nor is as about physical conditioning. York reported to camp in outstanding shape physically. The coach believes that it's about the mental side of the day-to-day grind.
"I don't think we got to the abilities where he could help us right now with our defensive core. And for me, with Yorky, it's not the physical skills, I think it's the mental skills. I think it's him learning, first of all, wanting to be a guy that's going to make a difference, and then being the player to make a difference," Tortorella said.
The head coach continued, "I've talked about it since I've been here about how you present yourself as a player, your attitude on the ice, the mental toughness of it, and I haven't seen it. And it doesn't surprise me. These are young men we're talking about, and some mature quicker than others. You use the word 'toughness' and everybody thinks it's banging, fighting. Mental toughness to me is handling situations and taking control. I have not seen that [with York]."
Tortorella said that he told York all of the above in their meeting earlier in the day, including the ultimate takeaway that if the coach has raised the expectations bar quite high on the young player precisely because he believes the player is capable of being an NHL impact player. The best version of Cam York, according to Tortorella, isn't the one who was "just OK" during training camp.
Per Tortorella, York did not speak much in the meeting. He mostly stayed quiet, listened to what was said and then left. The coach said that he understands York is young, the news was disappointing and he's not gregarious by nature.
""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."
What on-ice personality does Tortorella want to see? A more assertive one.
"Attack the game. Attacking the game isn't banging for him. It's using his legs to get us out of the end zone. I think with some of his ability, he could [trigger] a breakout for us. Just get the puck and go. I don't want him just slapping the puck away and getting rid of the puck," Tortorella said.
There is always a risk in sending a top prospect -- especially one who came to camp with an inside track at an NHL roster spot -- back to the farm team. There's a risk of the player losing confidence and further retreating from being the player he was envisioned to be. There's a risk of the young player "checking out" mentally. However, there's an even greater risk in keeping the player in the NHL and seeing him struggle or tread water.
Tyson Foerster (RW): Assigned to the Phantoms (AHL)
The Flyers' 2020 first-round pick made a better showing in NHL Camp than he did a year ago and is also much healthier physically. This time around, after a strong performance at the World Junior Championships and standing out in Rookie Camp, Foerster did not seem nearly as overwhelmed as he did in NHL Training Camp in 2021.
Foerster did not break down the door and make himself uncuttable in this camp. He was not expected to make the NHL team for opening night and needed to have a spectacular camp to do so. However, he held his own. That bodes well in the bigger picture.
Foerster had several standout moments where his high-end skills stood out positively. He had secondary assists on a pair of 5-on-3 power play goals. Most notably, though, he made a tremendous individual effort in the preseason opener against Boston on an attack that came within a whisker of being a goal.
Foerster's next challenge is to make an impact with the Phantoms. He still has room to improve his two-way game, to regularly find shooting lanes to unleash his lethal right-handed shot and be someone who can swing momentum in his team's favor. With Lehigh Valley, he figures to receive a lot of ice time. This season will be an important one for the 20-year-old Foerster in building his case for NHL promotion.
Olle Lycksell (LW):Assigned to the Phantoms (AHL)
The crafty Swedish forward was one of the biggest standouts in Rookie Camp, This was not unexpected because he already had several years of pro experience in Sweden's SHL and is a skilled player. The 23-year-old also stood out on the first scrimmage day at NHL Camp.
Since then, he's had some shifts where he's made clever plays with the puck or otherwise made himself noticed with his hockey smarts but not to quite the same degree. He held his own but not to a level where an immediate NHL role jumped out. Lycksell stands a good chance of playing well at the AHL level. The SHL is fairly comparable in terms of quality of opposition, and he did well there as well as in camp with the Flyers.
Apart from continuing his adjust to the smaller-rink game, which he has already been doing, the next challenge for Lycksell is to carve out a niche that could propel him to a role for the Flyers at the NHL level.
Max Willman (W): On waivers for purpose of assignment to the Phantoms (AHL)
A feel-good story who beats the odds to play 41 games in the NHL with the Flyers last season, Willman ran into a numbers game in NHL Camp. It's always been an uphill battle for the player to advance to higher levels in hockey and then to protect his roster spot once he got to the NHL.
Willman has both speed and skill but not to the level where he's an NHL scoring line candidate. Within the bottom six, there is a slew of competition for supporting cast roles as utility forwards.
Assuming he clears waivers, Willman will remain a player who can play for Laperriere in a variety of different lines and deployment scenarios (including both offensive situations and penalty killing) for the Phantoms. The 27-year-old also remains a viable NHL callup candidate in case of injury. Again, though, there will be competition.
Adam Brooks (C/W): On waivers for purposes of assignment to the Phantoms (AHL)
Signed this offseason, the 26-year-old Brooks is one of the players slated to compete with Willman as an organizational depth player vying for an NHL recall. Brooks knows the NHL waiver process quite well, having been waived and claimed on four separate occasions during the 2021-22 season. He spent most last season on NHL rosters although he only dressed in a combined 25 games (in addition to five AHL games).
Brooks, who reported to training camp in outstanding physical condition, has been a solid offensive contributor at the AHL level among his attributes as an all-situations player. At the NHL level, he's strictly a fourth-line candidate.
Brooks got into a couple preseason games for the Flyers as they auditioned various players who can play center or play various positions as needed. Assuming he clears waivers, he'd remain in the mix for an NHL recall if a need arises for the utility forward.
Adam Ginning (D):Assigned to the Phantoms (AHL)
The Flyers' 2018 second-round pick did not dress in any NHL preseason games and was fully expected to be sent to the Phantoms at some point of camp. The 22-year-old brings a physical element to the game and even dropped the gloves during the Rookie Series against the New York Rangers' prospects. Ginning played well all-around in the first Rookie Series game and was OK in the second. He had a solid Rookie Camp in general and showed an eagerness to learn.
However, Ginning needs to continue working on his play with the puck on his stick as well as making adjustments to the North American game. He was never in the main group of prospect-aged defensemen to challenge for an NHL opening-night spot. The next step for him will be to solidify himself as a regular in Laperriere's lineup and work with Phantoms assistant coach (and former Flyers captain) Jason Smith.
Adam Karashik (D);Assigned to the Phantoms (AHL)
The 24-year-old debuted with the Phantoms in the latter part of last season after completing his NCAA career. In Rookie Camp, he took part in the Rookies Series against the Rangers. Karashik dealt with an injury in NHL Camp. Now cleared to play, he will report to the Phantoms' camp in Allentown.
Louie Belpedio (D):On waivers for purposes of Phantoms assignment (AHL).
The 26-year-old former Minnesota Wild prospect has both an offensive game and a physical edge to his game. He has mostly played at the AHL level but has dressed in a combined four NHL games since 2017-18. At the AHL level, he is a power play regular, and the right-handed defenseman also took a couple power play shifts in NHL exhibitions for the Flyers during the current camp.
J.R. Avon (C): Assigned to Peterborough Petes (OHL).
The speedy center, signed last year to an entry-level NHL contract, missed the entire Rookie Camp due to injury and spent NHL Camp rehabbing on the ice with Angelo Ricci, the Flyers' Skills Coach. He is now cleared to play. Avon projects to see a large-scale role with Peterborough in 2022-23.