IIHF Worlds: Four Flyers in Saturday Action
Team Sweden moved to 2-0-0 in the IIHF World Championship preliminary round. After shutting out Slovakia on Friday, 5-0, Tre Kronor took on Austria on Saturday. It wasn’t exactly a crisply played victory in the second game. However, the Swedes prevailed, 4-2. Samuel Ersson stopped 14 of 16 shots in the latter game after backing up Jacob Markstrom (15 save shutout) on Friday.
Team Canada opened its round-robin schedule on Saturday with a 4-0 win against Slovenia. Flyers winger Travis Konecny assisted on a Bo Horvat goal while logging 20:27 of ice time. Paired with Jared Spurgeon, Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim played 15:53 over 21 shifts. Skating on Canada’s third line with Ryan O’Reilly and Kent Johnson, Flyers winger Tyson Foerster played 12:52 across 17 shifts.
Horvat, who is Konecny’s cousin, notched a pair of power play tallies on Saturday to take Best Player honors for Canada. Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon had a three-point day (1g, 2a) on the line with Konecny and Horvat. Canada plays Lativa on Sunday at Avicii Arena (formerly the Globe) in Stockholm. The tourney co-host Swedish team have an off day on Sunday.
Cates’ Contract Status
Recently, Flyers center Noah Cates made a guest appearance on the Nasty Knuckles podcast. Hosts Derek Settlymyre and Riley Cote asked the impending restricted free agent about the status contract extension talks with the Flyers.
“(Negotiations) started a couple of months ago, then kind of stopped right around the Four Nation break. But, hopefully, they pick up again in the next week or two (in early to mid-May) and we can get something done early in the summer. But, either way, I’m in a good spot and I’m excited about it. Obviously, I’m about 99 percent sure I’ll be a Flyer. That’s the most excited thing for me.”
On Thursday if this week, Daily’s Faceoff’s Anthony DiMarco reported that Cates and the Flyers are likely going to arbitration. He cited a team source, saying the two sides are far apart on a multi-year deal. Instead, per DiMarco, it seemed to be headed toward an arbitration case, followed by unrestricted free agency for Cates in the summer of 2026.
That seems to be a hasty prediction to make in early May. Rather, it sounds like a negotiating tactic conveyed to the media. The purpose is normally to spur a deal rather than wind up in arbitration. Threatening arbitration as a probability (rather than a Plan B possibility a few months later) seems aimed to generating a sense of urgency.
Cates will follow whatever advice his agent, Ben Hankinson, gives to him. It is par for the course for arbitration-eligible free agents to file a case. In so doing, the player forgoes the possibility of receiving an offer sheet. The vast majority of potential cases do not reach a third-party arbitrator. However, last-moment agreements are far from uncommon.
Hearings take place in late July to early August. Typically, however, the player and his current team reach a preemptive agreement on a new contract. If the two sides fail to do, however, the case goes to the arbitrator. After hearing arguments from both sides, the arbitrator rules one way or the other. The award can be either for one season or a maximum of two.
With a 26-year-old such as Cates, one-year awards are the norm. The following July 1, the play can become an unrestricted free agent. If the Flyer do not get Cates signed to a multi-year deal — which I still believe will happen as both Cates himself and the team have expressed interest — the team may trade him. The alternative is to walk Cates directly into UFA status.
At any rate, it’s too soon at this point to tell whether there will be a multi-year deal. a one-year arrangement or something that might end up in different destination. My gut instinct is that a deal gets done within the early summer time frame Cates himself put forth.
Two NHLers on cusp of breaking Propp record
Entering the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, Flyers Hall of Fame left wing Brian Propp holds the all-time record for postseason points by a left wing. The five-time NHL All-Star, who also played in the Stanley Cup Final in five different seasons, posted 148 playoff points in 160 games.
Now, a pair of active NHL players are within close striking distance of Propp’s record. Florida Panthers veteran Brad Marchad (146 playoff points in 165 games) is two points away from matching Propp. Likewise, Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin (146 points in 158 games) needs two points to tie Propp.
Reached by text message, Propp said he won’t be at all upset when his NHL record is surpassed.
“It’s an honor to have my record tied or broken this year,” Propp wrote. “Those are two great players, and they’re still in the playoffs. I will congratulate them when they tie or break the record.”
