‘He’s always in the right spot’: Flyers rookie Noah Cates making shift from wing to center look easy

TAMPA, Fla. — At just 23 years old, Flyers rookie forward Noah Cates already has a little bit of NHL veteran in him, according to teammate Scott Laughton.

With the Flyers thin up the middle thanks to the absence of first-line center Sean Couturier and fourth-line center Patrick Brown, Cates has shifted from wing to center, slotting in on the second line alongside Joel Farabee and Wade Allison. Cates has a little familiarity with the defensive requirements of the position, having played some center during his four college years at Minnesota Duluth.

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But for Laughton, who plays center and wing, Cates is making the switch look easy. In his two-game stint at center this season and his 16 games at wing last season, Cates has shown Laughton flashes of 2020 Selke Trophy winner Couturier.

“I think he’s always in the right spot,” Laughton said. “You watch a guy like Coots during the year, it’s pretty similar to that. Always in the right spot, winning the little puck battles throughout the game. He continues to do that, he’s going to play in the league for a long time and be a pretty effective player for us.”

Cates’ intelligence is the reason why coach John Tortorella sees this transition to center as a long-term endeavor, not just a short-term one while Couturier’s out. Since Tortorella first got to know him in training camp, Cates grabbed his attention with his ability to “think the game” at a high level.

Tortorella raved about Cates’ willingness in the defensive zone, particularly against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday. With two minutes remaining in the third period and the Flyers up, 3-2, Tortorella trusted Cates to be on the ice during a crucial six-on-four situation with the Canucks goalie pulled.

Thirty seconds into the Canucks’ power play, Cates blocked defenseman Quinn Hughes’ slapshot from the point to keep the puck out of the back of the net.

“He’s drawn attention to himself with his teammates by just how he’s played and how he carries himself,” Tortorella said. “And that’s a type of leadership for such a young guy.”

Cates has been an eye-test darling, doing the little things properly on the forecheck to help stifle the opponent’s attack. But he’s yet to show up in the box score through two games this season. He’s also still getting used to taking faceoffs, winning just 36.6% of them so far.

Right now, Tortorella said he’s not that concerned with the slow onset of Cates’ offensive production. He’s focused on making sure the team improves its play away from the puck, in which Cates already has displayed proficiency.

“We’re not a team filled with game breakers by any means, so we have to play a certain style right now,” Tortorella said. “And I think Catesy can lead the way that way in positioning. So [the] offense will come.”

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After he failed to make the opening-night roster, veteran winger Zack MacEwen will make his season debut against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night at Amalie Arena.

MacEwen, 26, was sent down to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms to start the season, with winger Hayden Hodgson making the team out of training camp in his place at fourth-line right wing. After Thursday’s home opener against the New Jersey Devils, Hodgson was waived and assigned to the Phantoms, opening up a spot for another forward.

Winger Olle Lycksell, who slotted in on the fourth line at right wing on Saturday, will be a healthy scratch in Tampa, with the 6-foot-3, 205-pound MacEwen taking his place. In two games with the Phantoms this season, MacEwen registered one goal and two assists. Last season with the Flyers, MacEwen scored three goals, contributed nine points, and finished fourth in the league with 12 fighting majors in 75 games.

“There’s a lot of numbers and a lot of moving parts, and throughout the season, it’s a long season,” MacEwen said. “So that was my mindset the whole time, anyway. Just stay positive and take whatever comes my way.”

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Goalie Carter Hart (.940 save percentage, 2.00 goals against average) gets the start in net against the Lightning at 7 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN+). ... Flyers winger Owen Tippett (upper body) and center Patrick Brown (back) participated in a rehab skate Tuesday in Tampa. Both players’ timelines to return to the lineup are unknown. ... Winger Cam Atkinson, who has been “day to day” with an upper-body injury since Sept. 25, has not experienced a setback, according to Tortorella. “It’s taking a little while,” Tortorella said. “We certainly want to get him in. We need to be careful that we don’t force feed, where he’s in for a couple and he’s out again.”