Flyers re-sign potential Canucks trade and offer sheet target Noah Cates

Cates played heavy matchup minutes for the Flyers this past season, and could have been a young and effective replacement for Pius Suter, who appears set to leave the Canucks when he hits free agency on July 1st.

Cates tallied 16 goals and 21 assists through 78 games this past season, and they have been every season, his defensive results were the real attractive part of his game. Cates can play the wing and centre, and at 6’2 and 194 pounds, he represented a bigger bodied potential Pius Suter replacement for the Canucks. Suter is coming off a career year in which he scored 25 goals and added 21 assists while playing against tough competition at various points. He even picked up a Selke Trophy vote, as you read about yesterday.

But the dream of acquiring Cates — certainly via offer sheet — appears to be dead, as the Flyers lock up Cates through his age 30 season. The Flyers originally selected Cates in the fifth round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft with the 137th overall pick.

While AFP Analytics (who are well-known for their NHL contract projections) called the signing a team-friendly deal, Flyers fans on social media appeared to have mixed reactions to the signing, citing Cates’ low point totals as the main reason why.

Realistically, however, it wouldn’t have been a surprise to see an opposing team offer sheet Cates at a number even greater than that with the salary cap set to rise over the next three seasons beginning in 2025-26.

For the Canucks, it’s onto the next one as they gear up to make some trades this month in order to improve their forward group heading into next season.

Canucks offseason centre trade target: Mason McTavish