With Kevin Hayes out of the picture, Noah Cates may be relied upon to play some big minutes at center in 2023-24.

It's the dead of summer, but the Philadelphia Flyers will be gearing up for training camp before we know it. In preparation for the preseason, we've created the Summer Sampler series, in which we'll be analyzing every key player on the Flyers roster. We'll assess where each player stands ahead of the 2023-24 season and project what their respective roles will be for the upcoming campaign. Stay tuned throughout the summer for each Flyer's individual evaluation in the lead-up to training camp.

As the Flyers enter the early stages of a multi-year rebuild, young players are getting opportunities to prove themselves in key roles. Owen Tippett took advantage of his increase in ice time last season, and going into 2023-24, Noah Cates may have a similar opportunity.

How did Cates perform in 2022-23? Cates was one of the Flyers' few bright spots from the 2022-23 season. He appeared in all 82 games and posted 13 goals and 38 points as one of the Flyers' most reliable two-way players.

After beginning the season as a winger, Cates gradually began earning more time as a center. Thanks largely to his sound defensive capabilities, he wound up leading all Flyers forwards in time on ice with nearly 1,456 minutes played at all strengths.

However, Cates' rookie season didn't come without some hiccups. As reliable as he was defensively, he won just 39.47% of his faceoffs while his play-driving numbers were largely unspectacular. Still, he earned the trust of head coach John Tortorella and even drew comparisons to two-way wizard Sean Couturier from some of his teammates.

Cates still has room to improve, but his first season as an NHL regular should be classified as a resounding success.

You can read more on Cates' 2022-23 season here.

What should fans expect from Cates in 2023-24? Cates is in the running to take on a much larger role this season. With Kevin Hayes now out of the fold, the Flyers have a clear hole at center in their top six, and Cates could be a logical replacement at 2C.

This is assuming Couturier is able to return to a first-line caliber center, though. Couturier appears likely to rejoin the Flyers after missing the last season-and-a-half due to back injuries, but if he is unable to return to form as a bona fide No. 1 center, it may not be completely unreasonable for Cates to serve as a temporary 1C as Couturier knocks off the rust. He played on the top line numerous times in 2022-23, and Tortorella likely wouldn't hesitate to pencil him in at 1C again.

Ideally, Cates should serve as a middle-six center. But given the Flyers' questionable center depth, nothing is off the table for the Minnesota native.

What does Cates need to prove? It's clear Cates is capable of playing a solid 200-foot game. But can he be more than that? Cates' raw scoring totals from last season weren't anything extraordinary, but if he can take a step forward as more of a consistent point producer, he could cement himself as a foundational piece when the Flyers (eventually) transition out of their rebuilding phase.

The Flyers signed Cates to a two-year contract worth $2.625 million annually last month, and he could earn himself a substantial pay raise on his next deal with a strong performance in 2023-24.

Statistics courtesy of Natural Stat Trick and NHL.com.