Cates making his case for a steady lineup spot

Noah Cates

      Life on the sports bubble is never easy, especially when it comes to professional ice hockey.

      A player might be healthy, doing well in practice and already shown he’s a proven NHL-caliber performer.

      But the competition for a roster spot can be ferocious, notably on a team such as the Flyers, who have the third-youngest average age among the 32 teams.

      So it stands to reason that these first few weeks of the new season have been trying ones for Noah Cates.

      Just two seasons ago, his stock appeared to be on the rise. It was his first full season with Philadelphia after a brief cup of coffee in 2021-22.

      Cates played in all 82 games for the 2022-23 campaign, posting 13 goals/38 points with a plus-3.

      The future looked bright.

      Then came last season. A broken foot led to him playing just 59 games and he scored only six goals in those outings.

      When this season opened, the 25-year-old center from Stillwater, Minn. found himself on the bench. Just too many players in front of him.

      Going into Saturday’s game against Minnesota, Cates had played in only three games this season and really hadn’t made a big impression to date.

      No matter. He’s determined to work his way back into a steady place in the lineup. The Flyers have enjoyed pretty good health so far, thus there have been some newsworthy scratches, including young stars Tyson Foerster and Bobby Brink. So Cates is not alone in the sit-and-watch department.

      Then, just before the Minnesota game began, the Flyers announced they were sending first-round draft pick Jett Luchanko back to his junior team (Guelph, OHL).

      That should make more room for Cates to keep a regular post.

      “Noah does a little bit of everything,” general manager Daniel Briere said. “He’s been good the last few games. So it’s nice to have that luxury of a guy like Noah. It’s no fun waiting, I understand that, but it’s a nice luxury to have.”

      Cates looks forward to the challenge of a steady job centering the fourth line.

      “It’s kind of like the main theme of the team, being desperate,” he said. “You know, sitting out a bit makes you even a little bit more so. I thought I played a hard, desperate game (against Washington last Wednesday).”

      In Saturday’s game against the Wild, Cates centered a line with Foerster and Nick Deslauriers on the wings.

      Things are looking up for him. A just reward for sticking to doing his role on this team.

      >York out two weeks

      Before Saturday’s game, Briere announced defenseman Cam York will be out a minimum of two weeks with the situation likely calling for the player to be placed on IR. Veteran defenseman Erik Johnson took York’s place in the lineup.

      Coach John Tortorella said York will be missed.

      “It (his absence) is such a huge hole,” the coach said. “From where he was my first year to what he means to this team right now, it’s such a huge hole. It’s a credit to our six and our forwards against a really good hockey team.”

      >Message to Luchanko

      Center Jett Luchanko was returned to his junior team on Saturday to get more seasoning aftar a four-game trial with the Flyers.

      Tortorella liked what he saw when the kid was here.

      “He should be proud of himself,” the coach said. “He brought clothes for 10 days. He didn’t think he was going to be here this long. His parents should be proud of him. He was taken out of the lineup not because of his play. We were pretty much in favor that he was going to go back. He should feel so good about what happened about the time he spent with us.”

      >Seeler pleased with team effort

      Defenseman Nick Seeler, who scored his first goal of the season, like the way the Flyers hung in there after the Wild caught them to tie on four different occasions.

      “That was a big game for us,” Seeler said. “Tough stretch for us (six-game winless streak). We needed that one. It was important for us. We stuck together and a big two points.”

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About Wayne Fish 2587 Articles
Wayne Fish has been covering the Flyers since 1976, a stint which includes 18 Stanley Cup Finals, four Winter Olympics and numerous other international events.