November 29, 2023
The Flyers announced Tuesday that center Noah Cates will be out for 6-8 weeks with a lower-body injury designation, but after the 4-1 loss to Carolina that night, head coach John Tortorella straight up dropped that Cates had broken his foot during the road game against the Islanders on Saturday.
And that there's a window of opportunity now amongst the Flyers forwards still trying to prove themselves.
"Breaks his foot, I think, at the beginning of the second period, plays through it, a little frustrating that we couldn't see him more after playing a pretty good offensive game, but it's gonna give people opportunities," Tortorella said. "We're not gonna wait around as far as if things aren't working out because we got 12 forwards here now, right? If we're not happy about certain things, we'll dip and give other people opportunities. That's where we're at.
"I'm not trying to threaten anybody, but we've gotta get more out of some people and they're going to get the opportunity, but we're not gonna live with it the whole time that Catesy's out. We'll see where it all goes."
Immediately, this points to Morgan Frost and Bobby Brink.
Frost, while not necessarily an aggressive center, is a playmaking one who can drive the puck up ice and create opportunity if he's placed in the right offensive situation within the lineup. The problem, however, is that he hasn't gotten that situation consistently. He's made solid plays – and some bad ones too – but hasn't wowed in terms of point production (just two goals and two assists in 12 games), and since he's exclusively a center and wouldn't be effective in a checking role further down the lineup, Frost, so far, has often been the first one to sit.
Tortorella, however, can't be so quick to scratch him now that they are down a center.
Brink, after making the team out of camp, came out of the gate skating like the wind – creating scoring chances left and right – but has noticeably cooled down in the weeks since and has even had to sit himself a couple of times. At 22, he's still adapting to the grind of a full-time NHL role, but now would be as good of a time as any to re-establish a rhythm on the wing.
This might also be the time for Tyson Foerster to really step up too. He's done a lot of little things right – like springing Travis Konecny on the breakaway with a perfect tape-to-tape pass through the neutral zone for the Flyers' lone goal against the Hurricanes Tuesday night – but has been snake-bitten when it comes to scoring (just a single goal through 21 games), yet has seemingly been granted a longer leash to work through it compared to Frost and Brink.
But like Tortorella said postgame Tuesday night, the Flyers are only going to sit for so long waiting for things to click before looking elsewhere within the organization, and if that route leads to a call-up from Lehigh Valley, well, Olle Lycksell had a brief look in the NHL last season and is currently a point-per-game player with the Phantoms (12 goals and six assists in 18 games). He might be first in line for a recall.
Elliot Desnoyers could be due up for another look too, with steady play and production that seems to be picking up down in the AHL.
Alexis Gendron’s 3rd of the year. Elliot Desnoyers 6th assist #Flyers pic.twitter.com/uAOVTrYrqd
— TLY (@TheLibertyYell) November 26, 2023
How the Flyers go about making up for that absence and who might step up with the opportunity we'll be a beat to keep an eye over the next month.
There are multiple ways this could go, for better or worse.
Tuesday night was also the Flyers' "Hockey Fights Cancer" night, and nine-year-old Owen Micciche quickly became the star of the show.
Micciche, from Upper Black Eddy, Pa. and a youth player for the Genesis Hockey Club, has been battling cancer since he was six months old and recently had two new tumors discovered in his brain and spine by his doctors, which required him to step away from the ice.
But for the game Tuesday night, he was the Flyers' guest of honor.
He had his own stall in the locker room, read out the starting lineup for the team, suited up and took a rookie lap ahead of warmups with Owen Tippett while his Genesis teammates cheered him on behind the glass, then got to stand behind the bench with Tortorella and the rest of the coaching staff for the first period.
It was the stuff of dreams.
💜 #️⃣8️⃣5️⃣ Strong 💜#HockeyFightsCancer | #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/UFQMVZeHbS
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) November 29, 2023
"If you understand the history of this kid and what he's going through, that just puts – you're talking about losses, this, that, flat, not scoring goals, it doesn't mean a G** damn thing," Tortorella said postgame of sharing the bench with Miccichie. "I'm thrilled that we were a part of it with him tonight.
"Great kid. He was yelling on the bench...Yeah, I hope for a little bit it helps him. It certainly puts things into perspective if you understand what he's going through."
"That was incredible," forward Travis Konecny said "Having him on the bench too, it was a lot of fun seeing him back there. That's amazing what the organization did. We're glad we could be a part of it too."
We added a new enforcer to the club. 💜👊
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) November 29, 2023
Nine-year-old Owen Micciche, the ultimate fighter on our roster, is rooting on the Orange & Black from the bench tonight. #HockeyFightsCancer | #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/tG5vYgQf7H
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