![\"Noah](\"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/USATSI_27522845_168420156_lowres-1.jpg\")
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Noah Cates has had an excellent start to 2025-26 for the Flyers. It\u2019s that level of play that might make Sean Couturier\u2019s long-term deal a bit easier to swallow over time.<\/p>\n
Nov 6, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Philadelphia Flyers left wing Noah Cates (27) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal against the Nashville Predators during the second period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images<\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n When Sean Couturier signed his eight-year, $62 million dollar deal on Aug. 21, 2021, Chuck Fletcher was the Flyers general manager and Alain Vigneault was the head coach. That same summer, Noah Cates was entering his fourth and final year of U.S. college hockey at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, coming off a season that saw him only play 28 games and manage a meager five goals. The 2017 fifth-round Philadelphia draft pick and the then 28-year-old Couturier were miles apart financially, geographically, and where they were in their respective careers.<\/p>\n However, things have a way of changing. Danny Briere is now the Flyers general manager. Rick Tocchet is the new head coach, and both Couturier and Cates find themselves being key pieces down the middle of the Flyers\u2019 roster. And while the duo are still at different stages of their careers, it appears that the Flyers might have served themselves quite well by keeping Noah Cates around. His four-year deal worth a $4 million Average Annual Value is a mere 15 games in prior to the Edmonton game Wednesday night. But already it appears that Briere might have gotten away with highway robbery for Philadelphia while also possibly making the Couturier contract that much more agreeable or easier to swallow. Yet before we dive in, let\u2019s first look back in time, shall we?<\/p>\n The team dodged a major bullet or two the last few seasons with Couturier. After missing essentially two complete seasons due to back issues and surgeries, there was some concern that the Flyers captain would be a shell of himself if he ever returned to the ice. It was bad enough the Flyers were dealing then with Ryan Ellis and that disaster and news that Cam Atkinson wasn\u2019t quite right either. Adding Couturier to Injured Reserve for the rest of the \u201920s would have been almost farcical if it wasn\u2019t so depressing envisioning.<\/p>\n Some challenging seasons ensued which weren\u2019t alleviated one bit by head coach John Tortorella. After possibly riding his center too hard early, Tortorella then decided to cause a stir by scratching Couturier without much explanation given to the forward. Couturier really wasn\u2019t playing well, but he certainly didn\u2019t need Tortotella to add insult to the injury he was just getting over. Regardless, Couturier is now three years removed from wondering if his career was at a crossroads. Or over.<\/p>\n Although it\u2019s probably clear Couturier isn\u2019t going to reach the 76-point plateau he did during his prime (along with the Selke Trophy), it\u2019s safe to say he\u2019s not going to be a huge detriment in the lineup. At least not in the near future. And most likely not for the next four seasons (or a good portion of that term). The reasons? Well, there are a few. Couturier is not being called on to be the lone center on a team that is still needing a center or two to speed up the rebuild. He\u2019s still holding his own on the faceoff circle (53.55 per cent), has 10 points through 15 games, and is providing guidance to his winger in Matvei Michkov despite what the rage-baiting intelligentsia might opine in 280 characters or less. Couturier has never been shy to showcase his defensive skills and his solid two-way play. But the Flyers are being quite wise, knowing Couturier can\u2019t handle the workload of previous years. Rather than run him into the ground, they are easing his workload a bit, particularly against the biggest stars and the top lines from opposing teams.<\/p>\n It\u2019s here where Noah Cates enters the picture. And boy has he entered the picture! Cates, who signed his four-year, $16 million contract in early June, has provided a huge lift to the Flyers\u2019 fortunes with his play. He is integral to the success of the line featuring himself, Tyson Foerster, and Bobby Brink (who were reunited against Edmonton last night). And through that line taking it to the best and biggest stars around, the Flyers are fortunate to have one of the better, cheaper, and highly underrated lines in all of hockey. Both Cates and Couturier have 10 points apiece so far, but Cates has been the guy who has often been tasked with dealing with the likes of Sidney Crosby, Mark Scheifele, Auston Matthews and others who are top-tier talents. Couturier is capable of doing the job, yet that would also probably empty his gas tank a lot quicker these days. After all, he\u2019s less than a month from turning 33.<\/p>\n Granted, Cates isn\u2019t quite Couturier on the faceoff dot. He\u2019s lost 23 more faceoffs than he\u2019s won so far this season and is hovering over 40 per cent (42.94). Last year was a career-high for him there (46.8 per cent), but he\u2019s still needs to work at that more to be in the same conversation as Couturier or former Flyer Claude Giroux. Although that needs some improvement, Cates is eating up those tough, shadow-the-star minutes that were once allotted to Couturier. It\u2019s not like Couturier is punching the clock or on cruise control during games. It\u2019s just that everyone in the decision-making process is aware Couturier can\u2019t carry the burden he once did. Call it load management or whatever you wish, it\u2019s been fantastic that Cates has picked up the mantle. And in doing that he\u2019s enabled Couturier to indirectly (or directly) look better 15 games into this season then he has at nearly any point post-surgery.<\/p>\n When Couturier was injured those two seasons, and when he hit the wall in his first season back, there were plenty of skeptics who saw the eight-year contract (which concludes at the end of the 2029-30 season) as an anchor that could not be moved. A buyout after this season would see Philadelphia still hit with a cap hit next year of $6,520,833 followed by three years of $6,770,833. Essentially you\u2019d be buying out a player and still paying roughly over 80 per cent of his salary. Then an additional four seasons at just over half a million per season. So that idea was basically out the window from the start. As well, Couturier has a full No Movement Clause for the first seven years of the eight before a 10-team trade list kicks in during the 2029-30 season. The Flyers were either going to swim with the Couturier contract or they would be trying to sweep it under their own financial rug. So far, they\u2019ve been fine with it. Couturier can be lauded for doing his part. But Noah Cates has also done a huge part in making the Couturier contract far less of a nightmare.<\/p>\n The Flyers have a few things staring them in the face this offseason and some bigger questions. Who is available (or enticing, if anyone) in the class of 2026 when it comes to unrestricted free agents? What current restricted free agents (Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale, Nikita Grebenkin, Egor Zamula, Emil Andrae and Brink) will be tougher to negotiate with than others? And who might need to go in order to make room for the likes of maybe Oliver Bonk, Porter Martone, or whoever else is knocking on the door? A rising salary cap should help Briere navigate those waters rather smoothly for the most part, particularly when all of the retained salaries and buyouts are off the books completely. One can\u2019t also forget contracts for Foerster and Michkov will be on the table after next season.<\/p>\n Nonetheless, when it comes to Couturier and Cates, one would expect Couturier to hopefully not fall off a cliff in terms of his production and play. A gradual decline might be fine considering how his hockey IQ hasn\u2019t diminished much since coming into the league. He might be a step slower, but he knows that already, enabling him to be positioned better despite not having the blazing speed he really never had to begin with. He should be good for a few seasons to come barring any major injury or a recurring back issue. At least that\u2019s the hope. Meanwhile, Cates might be looking like one of the bigger bargains in the league in a season or two. Although he\u2019s at the mercy of the Flyers with no control over trade or movement, Philadelphia would have to be clinically insane to part with Cates unless a superstar or stud blueliner was coming back.<\/p>\n On the whole, Couturier right now looks like a contract that might not provide the value in the seventh and eighth years. That\u2019s shouldn\u2019t come as a huge shock. That would be normal as he\u2019ll be 37 during the final year of the deal. And with a rising cap ceiling, that current share of the total team cap (8.1 per cent) is forecasted to be under six percent near the end of his contract. But for the time being, Noah Cates is making his own contract look great while also sheltering Couturier from some heavy minutes and the spotlight that might come with that. If anything, Couturier\u2019s value on the ice near the twilight of his career could be around $4 million. Meanwhile Cates might be playing at a pay scale that could see comparable players earning well over $7 million a season in 2027-28.<\/p>\n Couturier\u2019s deal, as it goes on, might be seen as a problem. For now Noah Cates is making that contract seem far less of a burden. And for that kudos to Cates and, to a lesser extent, Danny Briere. It\u2019s doubtful the National Hockey League Players Association would have Couturier swap paychecks with Cates in 2027-28 and 2028-29, but that\u2019s essentially what Cates looks like he might be doing with his stellar, consistent play.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got to be better, plain and simple. There\u2019s no excuse for where we are right now. We need to hold ourselves accountable and make the necessary changes, because this isn\u2019t acceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/em> \u2014 Alex Tuch<\/strong>, Buffalo Sabres Forward<\/p>\n Buffalo Sabres fans, brace yourselves: change is coming<\/strong>. After yet another brutal defeat \u2014 a 5-2 loss to Utah followed by a 6-2 drubbing by the Colorado Avalanche \u2014 it’s clear that this team is nowhere near the contender they were supposed to be this season. And for fans who\u2019ve waited 14 years for a playoff spot, the latest string of losses is a hard pill to swallow. With Buffalo\u2019s record now at a dismal <\/p>\n Sabres in Crisis Mode: A Season on the Brink<\/strong><\/p>\n The loss to the Avalanche capped off a disastrous five-game losing streak, with <\/p>\n The truth is, the Sabres have been in this situation for far too long<\/strong>. The fans are fed up, and even the players are starting to admit what\u2019s been painfully obvious: <\/p>\n The End of the Line for Adams and Ruff?<\/strong><\/p>\n At this point, there is no denying that accountability must fall on both <\/p>\n As Tuch<\/strong> stated, “There\u2019s no excuse for where we are right now.”<\/em> The Sabres have been left behind in a rapidly advancing NHL, and with another playoff-less season on the horizon, it\u2019s time for ownership to act.<\/p>\n The Roster Shake-Up: Who\u2019s Safe and Who\u2019s Not?<\/strong><\/p>\n But it\u2019s not just the front office and coaching staff that needs to change. With this current Sabres team showing no signs of getting it together, nearly <\/p>\n The Sabres need to shed their past<\/strong> \u2014 and that means moving out players who aren’t contributing to the rebuild. It\u2019s a painful reality, but every player needs to be held accountable<\/p>\n <\/strong> for this team’s continued failure. It\u2019s no longer about potential or promises \u2014 it\u2019s about delivering results<\/strong>, and if you\u2019re not part of the solution, you\u2019ll be part of the problem.<\/p>\n Buffalo\u2019s Road to Redemption: How to Fix the Sabres?<\/strong><\/p>\n So, what now for Buffalo? The road to redemption starts with tough decisions. Kevyn Adams<\/strong> will need to make bold moves to reshape the roster, bringing in fresh talent to bolster the lineup. The Sabres\u2019 defense needs a complete overhaul, and the goaltending situation is looking more desperate by the day. The team can no longer afford to let mediocrity slip by \u2014 it\u2019s time to build a <\/p>\n This won\u2019t be an easy fix, but with the right moves, Buffalo could finally<\/em> start to dig itself out of this hole. The fans deserve a competitive team, and the Sabres owe it to themselves to deliver.<\/p>\n Can the Sabres Turn It Around?<\/strong><\/p>\n There\u2019s no sugar-coating it \u2014 the Sabres\u2019 current path is not sustainable. Another year of misery for Buffalo fans will simply not do. As the Sabres face the harsh reality of their worst season in recent memory, one thing is clear: the status quo cannot continue<\/strong>. The front office and coaching staff need to make bold, immediate changes. The future of the Buffalo Sabres depends on it.<\/p>\n The time for change is now \u2014 and for the first time in years, it feels like the Sabres have no choice but to start fresh.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Noah Cates has had an excellent start to 2025-26 for the Flyers. It\u2019s that level of play that might make Sean Couturier\u2019s long-term deal a bit easier to swallow over time. Nov…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9509,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9510","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hot-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n