NHL draft 2017: Flyers select winger Noah Cates at No. 137

With the 137th pick in the draft, the Flyers have selected American winger Noah Cates of Stillwater High School in Minnesota, as well as the USHL’s Omaha Lancers.

Cates spent most of this past year playing at the high school level at Stillwater High School, where he — among other things — did this:

That’s pretty cool.

Cates also played in 11 games with Omaha and posting seven points in those games. The 6’1”, 170-pound winger will begin playing at the University of Minnesota-Duluth this fall.

Cates was the 121st-ranked North American skater this fall. As was just pointed out on this NHL Network broadcast I am watching, Flyers assistant general manager Chris Pryor has connections in the Stillwater area, and almost certainly had some input on this pick.

There’s a lot of projection involved with taking someone at the high school level who hasn’t spent much time above that, but it seems like there’s some skill to be untapped here. An interesting choice in the fifth round — and another forward, as six of the Flyers’ seven picks to this point have been forwards.