Noah Cates, signed a two-year, $4M AAV contract through the 2026-27 season. He is a versatile, two-way forward with strong defensive skills and playmaking ability, making him a valuable asset at a low cap hit. Cates’s current deal is a steal, and his reliability at 25-years-old make his contract team-friendly.
The Flyers may be planning bigger things. Flyers’ General Manager Danny Brière is pushing to accelerate the rebuild. Maybe the Flyers are clearing cap space and leveraging their three first-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft to target high-impact players. Names like Connor McDavid have surfaced as dream targets (though unlikely for 2026), alongside more realistic pursuits like KHL free agent Maxim Shabanov or Minnesota’s Marco Rossi to bolster the Center position. The team’s recent moves, like signing Tyson Foerster to a two-year, $3.75M AAV deal and Helge Grans to a two-year contract, show a focus on securing young talent while keeping cap flexibility for bigger splashes.
The Flyers’ 2024-25 season was lackluster, finishing last in the Metropolitan Division, but Matvei Michkov’s 63-point rookie campaign has sparked optimism. With a top-15 prospect pool and Brière’s stated goal of targeting “The best player, not the best player available,” per Keith Jones, the Flyers are gearing up for aggressive moves in trades or free agency to boost competitiveness in 2025-26. The Cates deal fits their strategy of cost-effective depth, but expect Brière to chase marquee names at the draft or trade deadline.
The Flyers’ strategy of re-signing restricted free agents (RFAs) like Cates—recently Tyson Foerster (two years, $7.5 million, $3.75 million AAV) and Helge Grans (two years, $787,500 AAV)—before they officially hit RFA status on July 1, 2025, reflects proactive cap management. By locking in these players early, Flyers’ General Manager Danny Brière avoids arbitration risks, potential offer sheets from other teams, and the uncertainty of drawn-out negotiations, which could inflate costs or disrupt planning. This approach signals the Flyers are carefully assessing their cap space—currently around $19 million for the 2025-26 season with four roster spots to fill—to pursue additions via trades, free agency, or even offer sheets, given their stockpile of three first-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Just maybe the Flyers are clearly planning bolder moves, likely using their draft capital and cap space to pursue top-tier talent in trades or free agency to elevate their competitiveness in 2025-26. Keep an eye on the draft and trade rumors as Brière seems ready to make a big splash.
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Cates signed for 4 years n will be 27 in February lol