Leading the Noah Cates bandwagon
With another terrible season coming to an end for the Philadelphia Flyers, it is time to see what they got down the prospect pipeline. We have seen them trade away long time captain Claude Giroux and get back prospect forward Owen Tippett from the Panthers and of course there is Morgan Frost. We have also seen them sign college free agents and thrust them into play like Ronnie Attard, Bobby Brink, and of course Noah Cates. The Flyers drafted Cates back in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft in the 5th round (137th Overall). After seeing the prospect play in a brief NHL stint so far, I want to see more!
When you watch Cates play his hockey I.Q immediately jumps out at you. There was a game a couple of weeks ago against the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, and the penalty killing skill set was evident from the beginning. In limited PK time, Cates was constantly taking away shooting and passing lanes with his stick. Off the top of my head I remember a play where the forward on the half wall was attempting to make a pass back to the point but the stick of Noah Cates interrupted the play and he picked off the pass and dumped it the length of the ice. Now that may seem like a simple play to the folks watching in attendance or at home, but if you have watched the Flyers this season or the last decade you know the PK is always an issue with this franchise. Another part of Noah's game that is a breath of fresh air to Flyers fans is his ability to win puck battles along the boards. How many times have we seen the players on this team struggle to come out of a scrum without the puck? It is frustrating and always ends with the opposing team leading a rush up the ice, or putting the puck behind whichever goaltender is between the pipes on that night.
In the offensive zone Cates in my opinion has a solid forechecking game. In the match up the other night against the Rangers,the Flyers forward laid a body check to the opposing player attempting to break out of their D-zone. The result of the play was the Flyers having close to 45 seconds worth of zone time with a pair of decent scoring chances. Again, a breath of fresh air for Flyers fans who may have forgotten what this kind of play is like. It also is good to see the youngster already on the scoresheet. As of now he has 2 goals in his 8 game NHL career.
Noah Cates is a solid left handed shooting forward. He has a head for the game, makes sure to get the puck out of the zone, and is not afraid to play the body. Does this sound familiar to another former Flyer who was a lefty and wouldn't mind running through his opponent? Well for me that comp is none other than former Flyers Captain Mike Richards. Now let's all relax, I am not saying he is the next Flyers captain, or Flyers top line center, or even here for the long hall. What I am saying is that his style of play and the way he uses his stick without the puck is such a reminder to "Richie". Mike Richards is one of my all-time favorites to wear the orange and black. The way he would lead the team on the ice night after night made it easy to love his game. Again, I am not saying Cates will be like Richards, hell, Cates would need to be more physically, but the way he plays his game there are no shortcuts and that is exactly what this Flyers team and organization needs moving forward!
Photo creds - Derik Hamilton/ AP Photo & Kyle Robertson/ Columbus Dispatch
-Anthony Varrasso - Off the Rails Podcast - Olde City Sports Network
