BREAKING: The Cates Brothers in Philadelphia Have Been Split up

Jackson is the younger brother of Noah Cates, who is coming off of a career-best 38-point season with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Jackson Cates, 26, has 20 NHL games to his credit, scoring one goal and one assist with Philadelphia. He failed to register a point in five outings last year but did finish with a career-best 11 goals and 23 points in 65 AHL games with Lehigh Valley.

The 25-year-old turned pro in 2021 after a three-year run with the University of Minnesota-Duluth. An undrafted free agent signing, Coates made noise after helping the school win the national title in 2018-19. The hard-working forward was never a standout offensively but showed potential as a AAAA player that could play a fourth-line role in the NHL while spending most of the year in the AHL.

Cates is the lone player on tryout with the Islanders so far, and the 29th to sign a deal around the league, according to CapFriendly. The Islanders are currently $486,625 over the cap but have 14 forwards signed to the main club for 2023-24 right now.

While making the NHL team seems unlikely, Cates could be used as a potential depth piece in Bridgeport, a team looking to get the most out of young prospects Matthew Maggio, William Dufour, and Daylan Kuefler, among others.