2019 NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Cam York scouting report
Bowen Byram is the consensus top defenseman in the 2019 NHL Draft. However, Cam York isn’t too far behind him.
The 2019 NHL Draft will ultimately be remembered for the forwards. Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko have what it takes to star for a long time in the NHL. Alex Turcotte has the tools to be a star as well. However, don’t overlook the defensemen. Bowen Byram gets most of the attention as the best blueliner available, but Cam York has an impressive skill set as well.
York spent his draft year as the top defenseman for the vaunted USNTDP program. In his first full season with the under-18 team, he led their defensemen with 65 points in 63 games, placing fifth on the team in points.
Additionally, he put up 33 points in 28 games in the USHL, placing first among all the defensemen in the league. York was counted on to play huge minutes and he flourished.
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Prospect Profile
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 172 pounds
Teams: USNTDP (USDP and USHL); Committed to Michigan in 2019-20
Country: USA
Position: Defenseman
Handedness: Left-handed
Date of birth: January 5, 2001
All profile info is courtesy of Elite Prospects.
Strengths
Cam York is a strong offensive defenseman who plays well in his own zone. He was the primary point man for the USNTDP power play, which, as you can imagine, was lethal.
York has excellent instincts in the offensive zone. He’s a great shooter and also has a knack for delivering pucks to his teammates’ sticks. York isn’t a great puck handler, but he’s very good at finding open teammates.
He’s able to make the quick decisions you expect a top defenseman to make. York isn’t afraid to make the risky plays, but at the same time, he knows when to be risky and when to be safe. He blew me away at the Under-18 tournament, during which he put up 11 points in seven games.
York is pretty quick for a defenseman. This allows him to match forwards man-to-man despite not having the size you typically see from a defenseman. York’s also very good with his stick on defense and wasn’t afraid to go in the tough areas against bigger forwards. He won more of those battles than he lost.
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Weaknesses
My main concern with York isn’t his size. Guys like Ryan Ellis, Samuel Girard, and Torey Krug are just three examples of small defensemen who can be extremely effective. York lacks the mobility of those guys, though his mobility should never be a liability.
There’s also the concern about his strength. York can be a little bit easy to play off the puck, though he counters this with his excellent passing and vision. He’ll have to improve his strength to be the next great small defenseman. York will need some time to develop his overall game and build up strength.
What They’re Saying
"His teammates constantly praise what a calming influence he is when he has the puck. – Corey Pronman from The Athletic"
"York doesn’t have the flash, the speed, or the lateral quickness of program alum Quinn Hughes but he plays one of the most efficient games you’ll see out of an 18-year-old defenceman. – Scott Wheeler from The Athletic"
Highlights
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Overall Outlook
York has the tools to be a contributor in the NHL. At the very least, his abilities on offense should make him a very effective power-play quarterback. On a power play with so many great options at forward, York was the stirrer for the power play’s coffee.
As long as whoever drafts him is patient and helps him add some strength, his ceiling should be right around a very good second-pairing defenseman to an average top-pairing defenseman. York should be NHL ready around the 2021-22 season.