2023-24 Flyers season preview: Noah Cates

Entering this season, Noah Cates has an opportunity to build on a very good rookie year. With the return of Sean Couturier, the Flyers have their default number one center back in the lineup, which means Cates will have a bit more competition on the center depth chart, and that could result in a move back to left wing.

2022-23 Rundown

Games Played Goals Assists Points 5v5 CF% 5v5 xGF% 82 13 25 38 46.7 43.1 Stats via Hockey-Reference.com

What did we see from Cates last season?

It was, by most metrics, an excellent rookie season for Cates: he played all 82 games and garnered Selke and Calder votes, all while learning center on the fly on a bad hockey team. For a fifth round pick in the 2017 draft, that\'s an NHL debut to be proud of, and his good work landed him at sixth in our Top 25 Under 25 prospect ranking .

What type of role do we expect Cates to play this season?

For now, it seems that the Flyers coaching staff wants to continue to develop Cates as a center. With Couturier back in the lineup, the Flyers have a bit more flexibility and depth to work with, so some of the top-line duties that fell to Cates last year (because there was nobody else) will probably be shared with Coots. This frees up Cates to focus on getting his offense back, as defensive play came at the cost of his scoring. Of course, if the Flyers end up with better options at center (e.g. Morgan Frost shows he can be a second line center) and they still want Cates to get top six minutes, they might move him back to left wing.

What would make for a successful season for Cates?

Cates\' success last season has laid the foundation for a solid sophomore effort--namely, continued development at center. There are two primary parts to his game that need work: faceoffs and scoring. Last year, Cates put up a mediocre 39.5 faceoff win percentage; for him to stick at center long term, we need to see major improvement there. After that comes scoring--he scored at a rate of 0.46 points-per-game in 2022-23, and it\'d be great to see him pace for 50-plus points in 82 games during the 2023-24 season. With some further development of his linemates and less responsibilities, that\'s not too far out of the realm of possibility.

Anything else?

Of all the \"older\" prospects (Frost, Tippett etc.), I\'m highest on Cates--not because I see him becoming a top-line talent, but because his game projects really well as he ages. A more cerebral player with lineup versatility, Cates should still have a positive impact as he approaches 30 and the Flyers look to return to contention. As a result, he\'s one of the players I\'m most excited to watch this season.

Talking Points