Flyers’ Noah Cates is looking to unlock more offense: ‘We want to try to get him out of his comfort area’

Noah Cates started last season poised to take a big leap with the offensive side of his game.

He was entering his second full year in the NHL and his first full season at center. He was hoping his defensive strengths would spark some offensive creation.

Those plans were quickly derailed by a broken foot in November that sidelined Cates for for six weeks. The six goals and 12 assists he put up in the 59 games he did play were far from the breakout season he expected.

Cates can be counted on to contribute away from the puck, in ways that don’t show up on the scoresheet. But with the injury far behind him now, the Flyers want to see him show up on the scoresheet as well.

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“I want him to take a chance. We need to try to unlock him a little bit in trying to create some offense, too,” coach John Tortorella said Wednesday. “I think sometimes when you’re as reliable as he is, it’s easy to just fall back on that and play that way, play to your strengths. We want to try to get him out of his comfort area there.”

One positive from last season was that three of Cates’ goals came in the final month. In fact, Cates put together a five-game point streak in April, at a time when most of the Flyers were slumping. Tortorella had moved him back to his natural wing, which also is where Cates has played most of this preseason.

The way he overcame the injury and ultimately took a positive step toward his goals is a confidence-builder now, Cates said. In the offseason, he spent a lot of time watching his own film and focused on sharpening his play around the net.

“Little shots, tricky little plays, getting pucks off quick,” Cates said. “You just see throughout the course of the season, the weird goals that go in. And it’s not always pretty. It’s not always sniping. It’s kind of these little plays or quicker shots or just kind of getting it through traffic or tips.”

Cates showed some flashes of that in Monday’s preseason game while playing on a line with Ryan Poehling and Joel Farabee. While Cates didn’t find the back of the net, he had three shots on goal and generated four individual scoring chances, according to Natural Stat Trick.

The biggest key, according to Cates and Tortorella, is building up his confidence with the puck.

“Mistakes happen, but it’s just kind of limiting those and trying stuff so you know your teammates got your back,” Cates said. “So it’s having the confidence that you can make those plays and that your teammates will be there if it doesn’t go as you planned.”

Tortorella is exploring ways to help with that confidence, which might include moving Cates back to center. Nothing is set in stone, but he discussed the idea with his coaching staff and Cates himself during Wednesday’s practice.

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“I don’t know if [wing] is the spot to try to help him,” Tortorella said. “I think the middle may be. That one year, his first year, I was using him all over the place, but he played a lot of center, and maybe that helps him. … I’m not sure where it’s all going to land for him, but if we can get some offense, he can be a really big part of it, because he’s utility. You can move him into other spots.”

For his part, Cates said he approaches the game the same way whether he’s lined up at center or wing, and he doesn’t have a preference.

“Getting into the systems and into these preseason games, I’m trying to think more offensively, make some plays, not be afraid of mistakes,” Cates said. “I think at the end of last year, I saw that and got that kind of in my game. So it’s just kind of building off that and starting the year off right.”

Roster hopefuls Olle Lycksell, Jett Luchanko, and Emil Andrae skated with the NHL group on Wednesday. … Defenseman Nick Seeler was back on the ice after leaving Tuesday’s preseason game early. … Tyson Foerster sat out of practice. Tortorella said Foerster was “swollen” after blocking a shot in Tuesday’s game. … Goaltender Cal Petersen was placed on waivers Wednesday. He is likely to clear Wednesday, given his $5 million cap hit.