Noah Cates' Selke Trophy Case

0:00On March 28, Philadelphia Flyers fans might be missing the playoffs this spring thanks to a stacked Eastern Conference, but Noah Cates is keeping. Debuzz alive. The 27-year-old center is turning heads in the Selkotrophy race, the award for the top defensive forward in the league. After a solid 2024-2025 season and a new contract, Cates has stepped up big. He's posted 16 goals and 24 assists over 71 games, averaging 16 minutes 23 seconds of ice time per night. That's efficient scoring for a middle-six guy, what sets him apart is his defense. In hockey stats his wins above replacement model, he leads all forwards on the penalty kill and ranks 7th at even strength. His team boasts a 57.4% goal share and 51.0 expected goals when he's on the ice. A recent model from the athletic puts Cates 4th overall, trailing Montreal's Nick Suzuki, who's dominating with 86 points in a lead two way.

1:00Play. Other names like Anthony Cerelli, Nico Hissier, and Sam Reinhardt are in the mix too, but Cates' numbers stack up strong against those stars. At his prime age, Cates figures to anchor the flyers' middle six for a couple more years, pairing perfectly with young wings like Motve Michkov. Even if he misses top three votes, this breakout validates his game and sets him up for the long haul. That's your update from NHL News today, powered by AI.