Three first-round series in the Stanley Cup playoffs ended on Thursday evening. A fourth produced a deciding seventh game. In the meantime, the Under-18 WJC semifinal games are on Friday. Here are your quick hits for May 2, 2025.
Cates Closing in on Contract Extension
Flyers center Noah Cates is nearing a multi-year contract extension with the team. Earlier this week, Cates was a guest on the Nasty Knuckles podcast. He told hosts Derek Settlemyre and Riley Cote that he is hopeful a deal gets done before he becomes a restricted free agent. According to Cates, talks started prior to the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in February. The sides took a break, but do not seem far apart on coming to an agreement.
Cates becomes an RFA on July 1. According to a Flyers source, the organization also believes that Cates will be the first of the team’s most prominent RFAs to ink an extension. Extensions for Tyson Foerster and Cam York will be a little trickier, although both players expressed desires to remain with the Flyers for years to come.
Nevertheless, with an expected increase in NHL clubs (including the Flyers) potentially using offer sheets as a means to seek roster upgrades, the Flyers are aware that some RFAs will have added leverage. There is a bit more urgency for teams to preemptively get extensions done.
Worlds: Hockey Canada Selects 3 Flyers
Three Flyers players are going to the 2025 IIHF World Championships for Team Canada. On Thursday, Hockey Canada announced the selections of forwards Travis Konecny and Tyson Foerster as well as defenseman Travis Sanheim. Konecny and Sanheim played in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in February. Their selections were unsurprising. Foerster’s late-season flourish for the Flyers may have boosted his candidacy.
The 2025 Worlds represent Foerster’s first time playing for his country at the men’s level. Previously, he suited up for Team Canada at the 2022 World Under-20 (World Junior Championship level. The 2025 Worlds get underway on May 9. Canada plays its first game the next day, taking on Slovenia.
Under-18 WJC: Semis on Thursday
The medal-round semifinals of the 2025 IIHF Under-18 World Championships are on Friday at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas. Team Canada will take on Slovakia (3 p.m. CDT, 4 p.m. EDT). Team USA opposes Sweden (7 p.m. CDT).
The Flyers have a large contingent of their amateur scouting staff at the tourney.
Some players to watch: Ivar Stenberg (W, Sweden, 2026 Draft), Brady Martin (C, Canada, 2025 Draft), Braeden Cootes (C, Canada, 2025 Draft), Jack Murtagh (C/W, USA, 2025 Draft), Sascha Boumedienne (D, Sweden, 2025 Draft), L.J. Mooney (W, USA, 2025 Draft), Tomas Chrenko (C, Slovakia, 2026 Draft), Filip Ekberg (W, Sweden, 2025 Draft).
NHL Draft Positioning
With the Edmonton Oilers defeating the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, the second of the Flyers’ three picks in the 2025 NHL Draft can no longer be among the top 24 selections. However, if the Dallas Stars find a way to beat the Colorado Avalanche in Game 7 of their series, the Flyers’ third and final pick of the first round would still fall within the top 24.
The Flyers have the default fourth overall pick with their own selection. This will, of course, depend on the outcome of the Draft Lottery on Monday (May 5). Speaking of the 2025 Draft Lottery, look for a lottery primer article on PhiladelphiaFlyers.com on Sunday. Additionally, we may have a live Flyers Daily Draft Lottery special edition podcast on Monday evening. The Flyers are still working on details in that regard.
Calder Cup: Phantoms @ Hershey (Game 2)
Trailing their best-of-five series (one game to zero), the Lehigh Valley Phantoms face a near must-win game in Hershey on Friday evening. Game time is 7 p.m. EDT. The Phantoms lost a 3-0 decision in Game 1 on Wednesday evening.
Ersson Stars in Worlds Prep Game
Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson took Player of the Game honors on Thursday at the Betano Hockey Games in Czechia. Ersson turned back 19 of 20 shots in a 2-1 win over Switzerland. The Betano Hockey Games (AKA Czech Hockey Games) is a preparation tournament of exhibition games before the IIHF World Championships.
Eleven NHL players are suiting up for Team Sweden at the Betano tourney. Arvid Söderblom (Chicago Blackhawks) dressed as Ersson’s backup in the tourney opener. Sweden plays Czechia on Saturday.
Friedge: Flyers Interview McKee for Head Coach Job
On his most recent edition of 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman reported that Brantford Bulldogs (OHL) head coach Jay McKee is among the long-list candidates for the Flyers’ head coaching job. The longtime NHL defenseman previously served as an AHL assistant coach for the Rochester Amerks before building a head coach career in major junior hockey since 2016-17.
Friedman still believes that Rick Tocchet is the Flyers’ first choice for the head coaching job. He added, however, that Tocchet may prefer a return a return to NHL broadcasting rather than coaching.
I cannot speak to the first part. However, I actually think that Western Michigan head coach Pat Ferschweiler has emerged as a potential finalist for the NHL head coach job in Philly. As for the second part, while I only am only acquainted loosely with Tocc through friends of friends, I am close with a few people who know Tocc very well. I can confirm second-hand that there have been times in the past in which Tocchet got more enjoyment from studio commentary work.
Being a studio broadcaster is more of a “normal life” gig. The money is good on the national level — not on the level of being a pro head coach, but still a good living. Wins and losses don’t eat at you the way they do for coaches. It’s less grueling, and there’s more time at home rather than being away half of the season. Of course, money talks. Some prefer the coaching life from the get-go and others come to prefer it, because they are still driven to compete rather than commentate.
Tocchet was a first-round interviewee the last time the Flyers had a coaching vacancy. He did not have a second interview. This time, however, there is a different group in charge. Last time, Chuck Fletcher was the general manager. Dave Scott was Comcast-Spectacor CEO. The organization hired a third-party consulting firm to conduct the coaching search. There was a feeling all along, however, that John Tortorella was the target candidate in lieu of Barry Trotz.
Daniel Briere, incidentally, sat in on the first round of interviews during the 2022 offseason coaching search. He mainly observed, however. This time around, Briere is running the show in interviewing candidates. President of Hockey Operations Keith Jones is deeply involved this time, too. In 2022, Jones was not part of the process. He was still a broadcaster at the time.
That is a great accomplishment by Foerster. He had a very good season.
While I am not as anti Tocchet as some may be, I think I would love to see Ferschweiler get a long look. I like that he already has NHL experience as an assistant (Something Hakstol did not) and a pedigree as a winner and teacher of younger players. I also found this.
https://www.ferschweilerhockey.com/
I think having been an assistant and current college coach, he can have enough experience to bridge both sides of the young players and older pros who seem to sometimes chafe at coaches who don’t have an NHL pedigree. Being an NCAA champion doesn’t hurt.
I honestly trust DB and Jonesy to hire the right person. I was never a big Torts fan and didn’t enjoy his tenure. I was pretty pissed about him healthy scratching guys in their hometowns. What a Dbag move. But other than that, I thought some guys improved under him. We just don’t have the talent yet. Scotty Bowman wasn’t making the playoffs with our roster these past two years.
I will say that I originally enjoyed watching the playoffs without worrying about the Flyers being in it. So much easier to relax and watch the games. Now, I’m starting to pray that I’m not numb to the Flyers not being in the tourney. Give me something, boys.
The level of talent some of these teams have is incredible. We have a few moves to make. I’m looking forward to an interesting summer. Lots of wheeling and dealing. Offer sheets?
I see them pressing hard for a top line center. They need someone to play with Michkov and maximize his talent. I just hope they do not fall into the Kevin Hayes trap.
Good on Cates for getting an extension but I don’t know. I can see what he’s capable of. He is a very good two way center, especially for a guy that I expected to be a middle 6 winger. It’s just that, there’s nothing exciting or sexy about him as a player. He’s not threatening or over powering. Cates, Brink and Foerster were clearly our most consistent line in the second half but somehow I’m still not sold on Brink or Cates. I want more from both or better than both.
Cates gets some acknowledgment from other NHL players as being tough to play against so there is that.
As long as they don’t overpay I would like to see home back.
If other teams have somehow brought up and singled out Noah Cates as tough to play against, that’s great. I’ve never heard or read anything along these lines but that’s great.