Noah Cates

Cates recorded 16 goals and 37 points across 78 outings with Philadelphia in 2024-25, which is a jump from 18 points in 59 appearances in 2023-24, but still a touch below his career high of 38 points in 82 games in 2022-23. Cates is 26 years old, so it’s hard to still think of him as a prospect with meaningful upside. Instead, it’s best to see him for what he is now: a middle-six forward. He’d have more appeal if there was a physical aspect to his game, but he’s never even reached 100 hits in a season -- his 87 last year was a personal best -- and he has just 30 career PIM over 235 appearances. He’s also not good on the draw with a 42.3 career faceoff winning percentage. Pass on him unless you have use for a 30-40 point forward with minimal versatility. Read Past Outlooks