The Flyers have checked another box off their internal roster to-do list. Noah Cates signed a four-year contract extension on Tuesday, per General Manager Daniel Briere. Last week, the team announced a two-year extension for winger Tyson Foerster.
Cates' contract carries a $4 million average annual value (AAV) on the salary cap. The deals for Cates and Foerster preempt restricted free agency this summer. Cates also had the alternative option of seeking salary arbitration during the offseason. Instead, the Flyers have locked up the two-way forward for the next four seasons. He can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2029.
The 26-year-old Cates got off to a slower start offensively this past season and was in and out of the lineup in the early weeks of the season. Thereafter, he was one of the team's most consistent all-around players for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign. Offensively, he finished with 37 points (16 goals, 21 assists) in 78 games played.
Cates has played both center and left wing in his NHL career. In 2024-25, he seemed to find a permanent spot in the middle. Centering a line with Foerster on the left and Bobby Brink on the right, Cates found a sustained groove. Even when he went through stretches where pucks weren't going in the net, the rest of his game remained consistently strong.
The player's hottest offensive months of this past season came from mid-December to mid-January: From December 10 to January 16, the Minnesota native posted 15 points in 18 games including a team-high nine goals. Shortly after the Four Nations Face-Off tournament, Cates put together a four-game stretch of four goals and two assists (February 25 against Pittsburgh to March 4 against Calgary).
On Exit Day at the end of the regular season, Cates expressed a desire to get a deal done with the Flyers sooner rather than later. The hope has become a reality.
