Report: Noah Cates Could Go to Arbitration; Should It Cause Concern?

A report surfaced on Thursday that Flyers center Noah Cates could head to arbitration this summer.

Anthony Di Marco of the Daily Faceoff reported that Cates will likely head to arbitration this year and take a one-year prove-it deal. Abritration usually does not result in one-year contracts. However, since Cates will be a UFA next offseason, that is his only option.

Di Marco reported that Cates and the Flyers are not quite on the same page and that the center would rather be awarded a one-year deal. That would bring him to unrestricted free agency, where he could cash in on a much larger deal.

The salary cap makes a significant jump not this offseason, but the following. Players like Cates will be getting much higher salaries than they would have this year. From its sound, that is a part of Cates’ negotiations.

Cates was undoubtedly a top-six, if not the best, center on the Flyers last season. If signing long-term, he likely wants his salary to reflect that. The issue? Cates will likely not be that top-line guy, if even a top-nine forward, when the Flyers compete for a Stanley Cup. Therefore, the Flyers likely want to proceed with caution.

Di Marco also reported that the team views Cates as a long-term extension candidate for somewhere around $3.5-4 million.

Arbitration hearings will not begin until mid-July, and Cates will have roughly a week to decide whether or not to sign with the Flyers, an offer sheet, or go to arbitration.

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Should the Possibility of Noah Cates’ Arbitration Be a Cause for Concern?

If Noah Cates does go to arbitration, it should not be cause for concern. There are a few reasons why. The first of which, even if the third party rules in favor of Cates, the contract still won’t be anything egregious. He was the best center on the Flyers, but still only had a 37-point season. His value is in his defense, which usually is not AS reflected in salary.

The second, if he takes a one-year prove-it contract, the Flyers will then get a chance to see another full season of Cates. Maybe he can take another step in his development and have more top-six potential. He could hold out until he hits the open market, but the Flyers will still have a shot to lock him up before that happens.

The third, if he does not take a step, then the Flyers are not locked into another long-term deal handed out based on potential. Di Marco alluded to the potential reinforcements with “higher ceilings” as a reason why the Flyers don’t want a long-term big money extension for Cates. Between Jett Luchanko, the 2025 draft, and a possible offseason accquisition, that could very well be true.

The Flyers don’t want to be paying a bottom-six guy top-six money when they are competing for a cup.

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Cates on His Next Contract

One thing worth noting from Di Marco’s report is that he mentions that Noah Cates was not interested in a long-term extension.

While things could easily have changed since mid-April, Cates did say he preferred a long-term extension in his exit interview. He mentioned his excitement for his future and the team’s future, and that he would like a long-term deal if possible.

The disagreement on salary could very well have changed his mindset on the topic; there is no denying that. However, his open desire to remain in Philly long-term should be encouraging.

In his exit interview, Cates mentioned that there were brief negotiations mid-season, but they stopped once play resumed after the 4 Nations’ Break. He also mentioned that he expected them to pick back up shortly after the season concluded.

In early May, Cates went on the “Nasty Knuckles” podcast and reiterated those same statements. To me, that means that the conversations had to have begun sometime in the last week or two. That would mean there is still plenty of time to work something out before July 1st.

The one thing Cates said on the podcast that he did not share in his exit interview is that he is “99% sure” that he will be a Flyer next season, saying “that is the most exciting part for me.”

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