‘What else do you want, Coach?’ Flyers’ Noah Cates embracing every responsibility under John Tortorella

In his 37th career NHL game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Nov. 25, rookie forward Noah Cates received a crash course in going up against some of the best talent the league has to offer.

Cates, 23, started on the top line at left wing alongside center Kevin Hayes and right winger Owen Tippett. However, he was also called upon to chip in at center, working to limit the Penguins’ top line of captain Sidney Crosby and wingers Jake Guentzel and Rickard Rakell. With just 14 games of experience at center at that point, Cates took five faceoffs against 18-year veteran Crosby. The rookie won only one.

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But whether he’s getting fed to the Penguins or he’s tasked with stifling the New York Islanders’ productive second line of left winger Anders Lee, center Brock Nelson, and right winger Anthony Beauvillier, Cates is taking each opportunity in stride, according to coach John Tortorella.

“I put him to the forefront, giving him 17, 18 minutes, ask him to check against the top players in the league,” Tortorella said. “And then I remember I said, ‘We need to get more offense out of you.’ [He said,] ‘What else do you want, Coach?’”

The Flyers have what Tortorella calls a “slot” problem. Due to injuries to top forwards, including center Sean Couturier and wingers Cam Atkinson and James van Riemsdyk, would-be bottom-sixers are bumped up in the lineup and called upon to take on added responsibility. Players that might typically be playing in the AHL are slotting in on the bottom six.

Cates has played up and down the lineup in the Flyers’ top nine, primarily at center with the team especially thin at the position. In Friday’s practice in advance of their game against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night, Cates centered the top line alongside left winger Hayes and right winger Travis Konecny.

The offense hasn’t been there for Cates, who has three goals and five assists in 24 games. Tortorella, however, continues to place a premium on his defensive strengths, which have earned him big even-strength and special-teams minutes.

“His presence as far as away from the puck and understanding how to play that part of the game, he’s so far ahead of schedule,” Tortorella said. “And especially, I moved him from wing and put him to center on a team that’s struggling, it’s a hard thing. It’s a hard thing to ask of a young guy. But I think he’s handled himself so very well.”

Tortorella envisions the offense coming for Cates in the long-term when the Flyers lineup has more balance up front. Then, Cates can move into a middle-six role where he doesn’t have to concentrate as hard on his defensive matchups.

On a line with Hayes and Konecny, Cates aims to get his offense going. After all, he only has one assist in his last five games. But for now, Cates is embracing his new position and his added responsibilities, even if the points aren’t piling up.

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“Just kind of trusting myself, trusting my instincts,” Cates said. “Offensively, I think I can just be better. It doesn’t have to take away from me defensively, being offensive. Being on the right side of the puck and whatnot can help all of us on both sides of the puck.”

For the first time since breaking his index finger against the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 23, van Riemsdyk joined the Flyers for practice on Friday. He wore a yellow noncontact jersey but was able to do most drills with the team. His six-week timeline for a return would put him at Dec. 9 for the Flyers’ game against the Vegas Golden Knights.

After sitting out of Thursday’s morning skate for a scheduled day off, Atkinson (upper body) rejoined the Flyers for practice as well. He continued to wear a full-contact jersey. Both van Riemsdyk and Atkinson skated with the extra forwards when the Flyers ran line combinations.

While van Riemsdyk has a clear-cut timeline for return, Atkinson does not. On Thursday, general manager Chuck Fletcher said that Atkinson is not day-to-day and still has more progressing to do before he can return to the lineup.

“Until the medical people tell me that he’s really close, he’s still just practicing and I still don’t really have a timeline as far as when he’s going to come back,” Tortorella said of Atkinson.

Forward Kieffer Bellows cleared waivers and has been assigned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Bellows, 24, played 12 games with the Flyers after Fletcher claimed him on waivers from the New York Islanders on Oct. 27. He did not register a point with the Flyers.