Flyers’ Noah Cates out six to eight weeks with lower-body injury

Cates, 24, finished the Flyers’ last game vs. the New York Islanders on Saturday. He played 14:12 of ice time, which is around what he’s averaged so far in the 2023-24 regular season. There didn’t seem to be a specific moment in the game where Cates was injured, but on Tuesday morning, head coach John Tortorella told reporters that he was “banged up” and would be out for awhile.

In 21 games with the Flyers this season, Cates had one goals and three assists for four points. Despite the slow offensive start, the 2017 fifth-round pick remained one of the stronger two-way forwards on the team. Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin put Cates on his 2023-24 All-Underrated Team.

Last season, Cates had 13 goals and 25 assists for 38 points, leading a struggling Flyer squad in plus/minus with a plus-three rating. He received some votes for both the Calder Trophy and Selke Trophy.

In 119 career NHL games, Cates has 19 goals and 32 assists for 51 points.

The Flyers have gotten off to a good start in the first quarter of the season. With a record of 11-9-1 for 23 points, good for third in the Eastern Conference’s Metropolitan Division, the Tortorella-led group are hoping to make the playoffs for the first time in a non-COVID affected season since 2017-18.

The Flyers won their last game against the Islanders 1-0 via shootout, and have won six of their last eight games, dating back to Nov. 10. The team hosts the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, then take on the New Jersey Devils on Thursday before a home-and-home with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday and next Monday.