On Tuesday morning, the Philadelphia Flyers announced a four-year, $16 million contract extension for Noah Cates. The Minnesota-born center was scheduled to enter free agency this summer, meaning the long-term deal will keep the pivot in Philadelphia for his final restricted free-agent season, as well as his first three free-agent years.
Related: 2025 NHL Draft Guide
Cates, 26, finished the season with 37 points in 78 games, ranking inside the top 10 on the team in points during the 2024-25 season. He has scored 40 goals and totaled 102 points in 235 NHL games after being selected by Philadelphia in the 5th round of the 2017 NHL Draft. He played four seasons at the University of Minnesota Duluth, including winning an NCAA Championship in 2019.
The defensive center has improved his faceoff percentage during each season of his NHL career. In his first 16 NHL games in 2021-22, Cates went 0-7 in his first attempts at faceoffs in the NHL. During a full season in 2022-23, he won 416 draws for a 39.5% winning percentage. A broken foot cost him 22 games in the 2023-24 season, and he saw increased usage as a winger. He had a better win percentage (44.5%) in far fewer attempts (330). During the 2024-25 season, his 493 faceoff wins and 1,105 total attempts finished second to Sean Couturier in both categories.
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