It is not a secret. The Philadelphia Flyers (8-9-2) severely lack depth at center.
Before the slate of games on Tuesday, the Flyers scoring offense ranks 22nd (53) in the NHL. Only six of those goals come from the center position.
“[I’ll] keep putting them in spots, hopefully we get some plays, and gain some confidence. It’s a position on our team that needs to be better.” – John Tortorella; 11/19/2024
Ryan Poehling and Noah Cates are the only two centers on the roster without a goal. Poehing (6A) and Cates (2A) still contribute to scoring plays in the bottom six. However, their placement in the lineup has everything to do with their defensive ability. Poehling is on the second penalty-killing unit. Cates is earning his minutes because of his checking and defensive acumen, but he has not answered the challenge put forth by John Tortorella ahead of the season.
“The responsibility away from the puck, that’s improved. Our structure improved, but I don’t think we develop enough. [We’re] going to keep on trying.” – John Tortorella; 11/19/2024
Tortorella hoped Cates would unlock offense. Two seasons ago, Cates was one of the best centers in Philadelphia. However, the team was in the infancy of a rebuild. As Tortorella said during the 2022-2023 season, the Flyers were not at the footers of their rebuild.
“He [Cates] was one of our top centers because that’s where we were. I still hold hope that he’s going to bring some offense. He ends up with chances. We were talking about this two years ago because he was doing so many good things so quickly as a young pro away from the puck, which is the hardest part.” – John Tortorella; 11/19/2024
But, if you are someone wondering why Cates, a center who has not scored goals, is in the lineup while Frost is not, consider a few things:
- Two-Way Hockey
- How Cates Fits in The Lineup
- Confidence
Two-Way Hockey
Cates is skating well.
Currently, Tortorella fits Cates into his lineup on the third line. When the Colorado Avalanche visited Philadelphia, Cates centered Anthony Richard and Matvei Michkov. Specifically, Tortorella uses Cates as the forward playing low on that line. It is a giant vote of confidence from Tortorella in Cates as Richard and Michkov learn to play away from the puck.
“He’s [Cates] played well. Hasn’t finished. [He] has chances to make plays and sometimes we don’t get it done there, but he’s done a really good job as far as holding onto pucks. He’s improved there in sustaining offense by holding onto pucks instead of just throwing it in or throwing it away. Him holding onto pucks, certainly down in our endzone with those two guys [Richard and Michkov] helping out, and he can skate with them.” – John Tortorella; 11/19/2024
Richard and Michkov mean to compliment Cates on the forecheck in the offensive zone. They are playmakers and scorers who can benefit from added time on the attack.
How Cates Fits in The Lineup
Often, Tortorella mentions that Richard provides speed, which creates space on offense. Michkov, on the other hand, is meant to improve at even-strength. However, he is a goal-scorer and can accentuate that positive as Cates aids down the middle of the ice.
Aside from his forechecking on the attack, a calling card for Cates on the third line is his transition into the defensive zone.
This season, on the Flyers, Cates (6) tied with Laughton and Frost in creating takeaways. Couturier (8) centers the first line with Owen Tippett and Travis Konecny. Laughton centers the second line with Joel Farabee and Bobby Brink. Frost played one more game than Cates. Tortorella added that Cates fits into the lineup with Richard and Michkov as an offshoot of the top six and how they performed:
“It was a fallout from the other two lines. I felt they had two lines going with Bobby [Brink], Laughts [Laughton], and Beezer [Farabee]. And Cout’s [Couturier] line. We put those guys together, and I thought it hit. [It’s] been a little inconsistent. I thought it was inconsistent last night [vs. Avalanche].” – John Tortorella; 11/19/2024
One critical difference between Cates and all other centers on the roster is while he trails Couturier in takeaways, shares the same amount with Laughton and Frost, and exceeds Poehling, Cates is the only skater of all those mentioned names with a positive puck protection ratio (6TK:2GV). Cates gets the puck back in the hands of Michkov, which can only help the scoring woes.
Confidence
Officially, Tortorella will not keep going through the same process with Frost. The story of Frost has always surrounded his confidence. It comes and goes.
“Frosty [Frost], he’s going to wait his turn because he’s probably the most talented one out of anyone we have. He’s going to wait his turn, and I hope he shows up when he gets back in. It’s a kid I really like as him and I have gone through that process. I cannot continue to go through the same process with Morgan that I’ve done for two years. It’s not fair to him. It would be stupid to coach that way because we’ve done that. He’s going to have to take some onus on himself when he gets an opportunity to make it stick because we certainly need help in that position.” – John Tortorella; 11/19/2024
There is no want to try Frost on the wing. Tortorella added, “I have enough wings.”
If there is a route for Frost to get back into the lineup, it could be at the expense of Poehling. Frost is the subject of circulating trade rumors, many speculating he needs a change of scenery. Nonetheless, Cates is carving a role in the lineup while earning the approval of Tortorella. Puck management is a critical element for Philadelphia if they are to compete with the teams residing in the top half of the NHL.
