The Flyers will give Cole Knuble a chance at center against the New York Rangers on Thursday, Nov. 5, as coach Rick Tocchet continues searching for the right combination down the middle. The 22-year-old is set to skate between Owen Tippett and Porter Martone in his eighth NHL appearance, returning to a position he played extensively before reaching Philadelphia.
Knuble has spent most of his NHL time on the wing, scoring three goals in seven games while bringing pace and grit to the lineup. He retained a top-nine role after Tippett and Travis Konecny returned. Tocchet said the Flyers need more speed at center and that Knuble’s skating helped make him a candidate for the assignment.
The change reshaped several combinations at Thursday’s morning skate. Martone moved away from a successful line with Noah Cates and Matvei Michkov, with Foerster taking his place. Christian Dvorak continued between Trevor Zegras and Konecny, while Denver Barkey joined Sean Couturier and Noel Acciari on the fourth line. Couturier and Acciari also spent part of the skate helping Knuble work on face-offs.
Center is familiar territory for Knuble, who played there for much of his college career at Notre Dame and during his time with Fargo in the United States Hockey League. He also briefly filled the role in Lehigh Valley last year after signing his first professional contract. Thursday’s opponent has a family connection: his father, Mike, previously played for the Rangers.
Knuble said he is willing to play wherever needed but welcomed the chance to return to his natural position. In Philadelphia’s system, the role allows him to support play through the middle, find scoring opportunities and help defend odd-man rushes. He said reading the action and choosing when to move forward would be important, along with winning defensive-zone battles that allow the Flyers to get back on offense.
Defensive demands also help explain why Tocchet has kept Zegras on the wing despite improvement in recent weeks. The coach said Zegras appears increasingly comfortable with fewer defensive responsibilities. A move to center remains a possibility for him, but Tocchet wants to try Knuble there to address the team’s need for speed.
The Rangers game begins Knuble’s first extended NHL road trip, with Philadelphia traveling to Western Canada afterward. Knuble said preparing his luggage required plenty of advice from his mother because he was unsure what to bring.
Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen participated in the morning skate alongside David Jiříček on the extra pair but is not yet ready to return from his upper-body injury. Tocchet said he is making progress. In Lehigh Valley, Spencer Gill scored his first professional goal Wednesday in a 5-4 overtime victory over Laval. Alex Bump, sent down earlier in the week, also scored, bringing his American Hockey League total to eight goals in six games.
