Flyers Try Cole Knuble at Center
Rookie winger Cole Knuble got a look at center for Philadelphia against the New York Rangers after Rick Tocchet sought more speed up the middle.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Hockey
Flyers coach Rick Tocchet tried 22-year-old Cole Knuble at center during Thursday's game against the New York Rangers. Knuble has scored three goals in seven NHL games, mostly playing on the wing.
Why it matters
Tocchet said he wants more speed up the middle of the lineup, and the trial tests whether Knuble can offer that in a position he played in college and the minors. The move also signals that Trevor Zegras has not been moved to center this season.
Knuble has scored three goals in seven NHL games while playing mostly on the wing. The trial came in his eighth NHL game, and it remains unclear how long he will be used at center.
The players
Rick Tocchet
Flyers head coach who tried Knuble at center to add speed up the middle of the lineup.
Cole Knuble
22-year-old Flyers winger, son of former Rangers player Mike Knuble, who played center in college and the USHL before turning pro.
The details
Knuble centered Porter Martone and Owen Tippett during Thursday's morning skate, and Couturier and Noel Acciari worked with him on face-offs. Knuble played center at Notre Dame and in the USHL with Fargo, and briefly in Lehigh Valley last year after signing his first pro contract.
Timeline
Oct. 24: Rasmus Ristolainen played one game before an upper-body injury sidelined him.
Wednesday: Spencer Gill scored his first pro goal in a Lehigh Valley win.
Thursday: Knuble tried at center against the Rangers at 7 p.m., before the Flyers depart for Western Canada.
Season Trajectory
The Flyers are testing center options for a lineup that has leaned on Cates and Dvorak, and a successful trial could reshape their forward depth heading into a road trip through Western Canada. Zegras remaining on the wing keeps the central question of who fills the middle unresolved.
If Knuble sticks at center, Flyers fantasy managers may need to re-evaluate forward projections for Cates, Dvorak, and Knuble. The change could also affect how the Flyers' bottom-six minutes are distributed on the road trip.
The takeaway
Lineup experiments in the middle of the ice often reveal depth that a team did not know it had. Watch how Knuble's usage shifts over the next few games to judge whether Tocchet's speed goal is being met.
Further reading
Follow more Flyers coverage in the Hockey section for context on the team's lineup moves.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer.
