“The preseason is not solely about results!”
That’s the line everyone falls back on after a lopsided score, and in truth, it’s accurate. The Philadelphia Flyers’ 5-1 loss to the Washington Capitals in Hershey didn’t reveal anything catastrophic about the team’s direction, but it did sharpen a few storylines—including Cam York’s comeback, a (for some) surprising frontrunner for a roster spot, and the imminent roster trims as preseason trucks on.
For a September night, that’s plenty to sift through.
Welcome Back, Cam York
There was no hiding how central this game was to Cam York’s preseason. The 24-year-old defenseman finally suited up after sitting out the first two contests, and he wasted no time stepping into a role he’s long deserved a chance to play at the NHL level but never fully got a chance at: a truly offensive defenseman (and quarterback of the power play!)
It wasn’t flawless—York himself admitted as much—but the intent was there. He wanted to push the pace, dictate possession, and involve himself in the attack.
“Just always trying to push the pace,” York said postgame. “I always want to be in the play, I had a couple opportunities there that just didn’t go in, but, yeah, first game, definitely some rust there, but things to build on, for sure.”
Rust is expected, but the bigger picture is clear: the Flyers need York to be bold. His legs looked heavy in the opening period, but as he noted, “after that, you can kind of push them and they start to feel better, but good to get the first [preseason game] out of the way.”
There was also symbolism in the “A” stitched on his sweater. Head coach Rick Tocchet has been deliberate about stressing York’s leadership qualities, and York himself leaned into that responsibility.
“Yeah, it was awesome,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been here a pretty long time and there’s a lot of new faces in the locker room, a lot of new young guys, so just trying to help them out as much as I can. I’ve worn a letter in the past and definitely feel like I have some leadership qualities, so just trying to make it as easy as possible for these young guys.”
Rodrigo Abols Keeps Showing Up
When camp opened, Rodrigo Abols’ name wasn’t exactly circled in Sharpie as a top candidate for an NHL spot. Yet here we are, three games into preseason, and Abols has been in the lineup for all of them.
More importantly, he hasn’t just been present—he’s been effective.
“The nice part about having those games is you can work on things so that once the season goes, we can hit the ground running and have the things we talked about be second nature,” Abols explained. “I think, sometimes, you can see guys and I can feel myself kind of second guessing or have that split second where I’m thinking about what we talked out. It’s nice to get that rust out of the game in the preseason.”
That’s a veteran’s take, and it’s telling. Abols isn’t trying to be anybody but himself, to prove that he can do the simple things consistently at an NHL pace. Even when he admitted that fatigue was creeping in (“I’m not gonna lie, you can feel that it’s the third game in five nights”), he framed it as a learning curve.
“That’s where I’ve gotta learn to pick my spots and kind of put myself in good positions—not play cheaper offense, not get stuck out there,” he said. “I think I’ve managed that pretty well.”
Tocchet has been noncommittal so far, but if the coach is serious about rewarding consistency, Abols has earned another long look.
Vladar’s First Impression
Dan Vladar’s Flyers debut lasted only a single period (a plan that was in place before the game even started), but it was enough to spark intrigue. Washington could have easily blown the game open early if not for several sharp stops from the 6-foot-6 netminder, whose mobility and awareness were immediately noticeable.
One period doesn’t make a case concretely for or against him, but in a crowded goaltending picture, every rep matters. The Flyers were intentional in giving him only a short assignment, with Tocchet explaining beforehand that it was about letting Vladar settle into structure before heavier workloads later in the schedule.
He’ll get those full-game opportunities soon, but for now, the Flyers can feel encouraged that his debut leaned more towards “reliable NHL tandem partner for Sam Ersson” rather than inciting the mass panic and overreaction that tends to hover around Flyers goaltenders like mist at dawn.
Roster Cuts Are Coming
If the first three preseason games were about casting a wide net, the next few will be about narrowing focus.
Tocchet didn’t mince words after the game: “I don’t know if there are any guys that played. That’s OK, though. Third game, two-, three-hour bus ride. There are some factors to it. I’ll probably have to give these guys off the ice tomorrow, to give them some rest. It was just a tough night for a lot of guys. That’s going to happen.”
It wasn’t a dismissal as much as a reset. The Flyers are halfway through their exhibition slate, and while no prospect has embarrassed himself, the time has come for more NHL-leaning lineups. That means several young players will be reassigned to the AHL, juniors, or college programs soon, freeing up space for veterans to tune up and bubble players to fight for their spots.
The Bottom Line
A 5-1 loss never feels good, even in September. But the score mattered far less than the subplots within it: guys like York who needed to find themselves again under a new coach are doing so undeniably; the goaltending picture isn’t looking as desolate as it has in years past; the roster is starting to really take shape and identity.
Preseason is a process. Some nights, the takeaways outweigh the goals—and this was one of them.
