Subscribe
Follow Us
The Philadelphia Flyers missed the playoffs in each of the last three seasons and are expected to miss the cut again this season. With a roster full of young unproven talent but with plenty of upside, the Flyers could be a fun team to watch this winter, though they are sure to go through their struggles along the 82-game marathon. We've already seen a glimpse of it in the first two games of this season, a 4-2 win for Philadelphia followed by a 5-2 loss.
The Flyers are one of the youngest teams in the league as they have 12 players with less than five years of NHL experience. That means there are going to be spurts of inadequacy that will lead to headaches for the Flyers throughout the season. It also means that Philadelphia could potentially have a lot to look forward to if most of these players pan out. This season will be a huge barometer into which players can stick around long-term.
The Flyers could surprise some people and make a run toward the playoffs, though they are more realistically another year or two away from being postseason contenders. Still, the Flyers should be better than they were last season and will be a tough team to beat if they play their brand of hockey.
Philadelphia could have several young players step up and become key contributors to the roster, but there is one in particular who has a chance to breakout into an impact player for the Flyers this season.
Emerging as a rookie
Noah Cates got his first taste of the NHL in March 2022 as he played in 16 games to close out the regular season. His highlights included goals in back-to-back games and a three-point game. He was no surefire lock to make the roster the following season, but crushed it in training camp and gave the Flyers no choice.
A position change from left wing to center wasn’t enough to deter Cates as he scored his first goal of the season in the third game and tallied 11 points in the final 14 games of his rookie campaign. He did not miss a game, recording 38 points on 13 goals and 25 assists, finishing the season with a +3 rating.
Cates was one of the Flyers' most effective forwards and proved to be a viable NHL skater in his first full season. As year two begins for the 24-year-old, he'll be tasked with proving he can continue to produce the way he did last season. How he plays this season will go a long way in deciding if he will be in Philadelphia for more than a couple of years.
Article Continues Below
Part of the long-term?
The Flyers are starting a new era with former player Danny Briere taking over as general manager. He is insisting that the Flyers are rebuilding but not tanking this season, which means Philadelphia expects to be somewhat competitive throughout the season.
The Flyers do not have all of their future pieces put into place so this season could be treated as one big audition for a lot of players on Philadelphia's roster. The franchise likely doesn’t want to miss out on the playoffs for much longer so this season will be crucial in finding some long-term players to potentially lock up for the foreseeable future.
Noah Cates is one of those leading candidates and could be in line for another new deal next offseason after signing a two-year extension this past summer. The two-way forward is just what the Flyers are looking for in a player. If he can stay healthy and improve on his 38-point season from a year ago, Philadelphia will have found a true diamond in the rough in the former fifth-round pick.
Cates could work himself into the Selke Trophy conversation throughout the season if he finds another level in his game. He received some votes last season as a rookie, finishing 15th in voting for the league's top defensive forward.
Outside of Travis Koncecny, Carter Hart and Sean Couturier, the Flyers don’t have many other stars. Noah Cates has the opportunity to emerge as a fan favorite and become a potential face of the franchise for Philadelphia. Other youngsters like Bobby Brink and Tyson Foerster are ones to watch for the Flyers this season.
