@Kraken de Seattle

Le Kraken sélectionne F Berkly Catton avec le 8e choix au total lors du repêchage de la LNH 2024


Catton mesure 5’11" centre qui a inscrit 54 buts et 62 passes pour 116 points en 68 matchs pour les Chiefs de Spokane de la WHL.


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34 Comments

  1. RyNoDaHeaux

    u/Olbaidon bout to have a heart attack

  2. PainInMyArsenal

    Was not expecting that 😂 really thought we’d go D there. But boy do we need offense! Excited to see what this kid can do for us in the future!

  3. chunderous

    Dominated the WHL, but I’m shocked we didn’t pick an offensive Dman.

    Surely that means that we’re going to sign/trade a solid FA Dman …?

  4. sktgamerdudejr

    Least he won’t have to move far.  

    Also get to save him from the hellhole that is Spokane /s 

  5. tonytanti

    Shocker! I was sold on them going D. Love it when the draft surprises.

  6. Olbaidon

    I willed it into existence for months.

  7. PSGooner

    I just heard about Catton today, but I’ve always rated him 🤪

  8. Picklepucks

    Centre with a ton of points? Sign me up. Can always move him to the wing if need be

  9. PixelGhost25

    Whyyyyy. We literally ***needed*** to pick Zeev Buium…

  10. Distinct_Mud_2673

    I’m pretty sure I’ve drafted him in Chel before. Good kid

  11. juanthebaker

    Great player, not a stretch. Still shocked we didn’t take a D man.

  12. EverythingIsAwful69

    Interesting. Really feel like we needed a Dman here. A lot of good ones still available.

    This kid have any chance of playing straight away, ala Matty?

  13. NWTexan

    So many defensemen fell and we really could have used one. I don’t get it.

  14. WILD-And-KRAKEN-FAN

    Another center threw me off but then again it’s four lines so can’t be a bad thing. Just wish we could have gotten an elite right winger to add to that side since Bjorkatrand is the only top tier guy on that side but nonetheless looking forward to this kid coming up to the pros in a couple seasons ⚓️

  15. tateand99

    I would’ve preferred a defenseman, but if it was going to be a forward I’m happy with the pick

  16. InfadelSlayer

    Buium was right fucking there!?! Oh man……this is frustrating. Trade for a proven scorer, we need damn D prospects

  17. sandwich-attack

    we love collecting tiny little guys lol

  18. ghostxvoices

    Wonder if there’s a reason all of these d-men are falling so much. I like Catton! Hope he can fill out some

  19. nataska07

    Hosting a draft watch party over discord and all of my friends cheered when our boy Matty showed up.

    Welcome to Seattle Berkly!

  20. B9RV2WUN

    Francis has an affinity towards centers I guess. Can’t have too many good centers I suppose.

  21. Kindly_League9913

    Why did we go offense our biggest need is the D kinda disappointed In this pick I was getting all excited us getting so top defensive prospect

  22. SAVIORandLORD

    I love this pick, he’s electrifying. A player people pay to watch.

  23. c0y0t3_sly

    So can he play wing, or are they really giving up on Wright as a top 6 center?

  24. surfingeagles

    I don’t care that we didn’t draft a dman!! This kid is solid, my guess would be a winger down the road, but great skills nonetheless. I love the offensive prospects this team has.

  25. EverythingIsAwful69

    I’ll have to sleep on it further, but I’m not loving this pick. He’s undersized and I feel like D was a more glaring need then another C atm.

    Idk. Time will tell I guess. I feel like him being in WA already feels like it played into this too much?

    Idk, but I’m feeling a bit disappointed all things considered.

  26. Here is the Athletic’s profile on Catton since it’s behind a paywall.

    The WHL’s fourth-leading scorer this season, Catton registered 54 goals and 120 points in a combined 72 regular season and playoff games on a Spokane team that lost more games than it won. He had real pedigree even before this season, too, as a No. 1 pick into the WHL who was an offensive catalyst on a bad Chiefs team in his rookie season who also led Canada Red to a silver as captain at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge with 12 points in seven games and then again captained Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup with a tournament-leading eight goals and 10 points in five games.

    He’s dangerous whenever he’s on the puck and shines with his knifing, slippery game. Inside the offensive zone, the way he baits and shades, drawing players to him and then playmaking past them with a pass or a cut, is pretty impressive to watch. Catton is a heady playmaker who uses spacing to his advantage and sees the ice at an advanced level, regularly executing quick plays through coverage or delaying into a pre-planned play. He’s got multi-dimensional skill, with an ability to play both with speed on the rush (he’s a smooth, fast and nimble high-end skater) and more slowly inside the offensive zone when the pace ramps down and he has to spin away from pressure (which he does so well). He’s got great instincts offensively. He tracks back consistently and will get up and under sticks to win his fair share of battles, with more room to round out his game defensively (mostly inside his own zone). He thrives in tight spaces and on cutbacks, he can play on the perimeter or take it to the net, and he’s got a dangerous and quick release while moving. He does such a good job losing defenders with his back to them to avoid getting pinned down because of how adjustable his skating is through stops and starts and tight turns. He draws a lot of penalties with his skating. Catton went from fitting right in as a rookie who was asked to play center on a top line and handled it extremely well (he even won the majority of his draws last year) to constantly threatening as a deceptive and dangerous player offensively has positioned him as one of the top forward prospects in the draft. He was also a top penalty killer in the WHL this year. He’s got some very translatable top-six elements with his skating and skill set type. I believe he’s got the chops to stick as a center despite being on the smaller side, as well, because you want him getting touches lower in the zone so that his skating can lead in transition. He’s got a bit of an injury history which has impacted a couple of offseasons and led to him sitting out U18 Worlds, but he’s an exciting talent.

  27. KirtissA

    Just what we need (sarcasm) another small center *SMH*

  28. Go_Hawks12

    High skill and can score in bunches, I like it. People gotta remember that these kids are years away from the NHL.

  29. inalasahl

    Very excited by this pick. Everything I’m reading sounds great. Sounds smart, good skater, can score & pass, can play center & wing. If his only weakness is his size, that’s awesome! Corey Pronman had him 10th (the players he had at #8&9 were already gone IRL) and said in his Final Athletic ranking:
    > New Jersey and Buffalo would be in a similar situation with Catton. He’s the best player available on talent likely at this pick, but they both have a lot of small forwards. Catton is a tier ahead of guys like Iginla or Konsta Helenius, so I think you bite the bullet on him and figure it out later because he’s the best asset.

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