[Evolving Wild] EvolvingWild has Cates as one of his 2 choices for Selke trophy. Really impressive that hes already one of best defensive forwards in league. Also was a winger before this year …
Selke:
N. Cates / Faksa
Bergeron / B. Tanev / D. Ryan— EvolvingWild (@EvolvingWild) April 14, 2023
by NowFook
2 Comments
He obviously wont get nominated because he doesnt score enough. But still incredible hes already one of, if not, the best defensive forward in league.
Cates will never light up the score sheet but is already one of the best defensive forwards in league grading out in 99 percentile in many top metrics and did so as a rookie in 1st season as a center …
He will be a *really* valuable middle 6 center for a very long time. Hopefully he becomes our Danualt long term.
All the sudden the center position doesnt look too bad with Frost’s emergence, Cates, Gauthier, Couts coming back and then our pick this year also potentially being a center.
I’m through the roof with how our center depth looks going forward. Still gonna take a few seasons for everyone to fully develop but gd if we get a healthy coots back long term we then have a selke level middle 6 guy in cates, Frost who if continues to play like he did the second half of the season could be a 60-70 point playmaker, Cutter who looks like he’s going to be a stud 2 way center and potentially another center this draft with real top 6 potential… that’s going to be deep. Wings looking promising too. Tippet turning into a 30 goal guy, TK finally turning into a 30 goal ppg winger, Farabee when healthy can absolutely be a 25-30 goal 50-60 point winger and Forester looks every part of becoming a ppg wing at the NHL level. Brink could be a decent middle 6 wing too. I’m mostly concerned with our total lack of D prospects at this point.