Prospect Info: Berkly Catton - Forward(Round 1, Pick #8, 2024 Draft)

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Truly love this pick for you guys.

I think in five years he could be your best player if the pick works out. I had him ranked #2, and I seriously considered him at #1, although I reluctantly deferred to Celebrini's more complete game and equally incredible season.

I think people way too unfairly knock his size. He's 5'10 (I've seen 5'11 in some places too), not 5'4. That's small for the NHL, but it's like two inches below NHL average height. It's a weakness, not an overwhelming weakness. And his weight is something that is also a legit weakness, but that's usually one of the easiest things for an elite athlete to improve on compared to their actual ability for the sport.

Aside from that, I think he has all the hockey talent to be a true star. I think he can be Jack Hughes with a more complete two way game. He says Hughes is the player he models his game after. I also think he's going to stick at center. I think the people claiming he's a winger just do so because of his height and weight. Look at players like Hughes and Bedard who both play center in the NHL that are his size. At the same time, you guys might not need another center, but either way he should be able to be an NHL center.

The way he can dominate with the puck, has elite skating, and also plays defense makes me think he probably has the most potential of any player in this draft. Would not surprise me if he ends up the best player in the draft when all is said and done. Utah (and like five other teams that passed him over) are going to regret it. I cannot believe they could possibly be stupid enough to pick a similar player positionally out of the same league because of his last name over a much better hockey player at literally everything other than being 1-1.5 inches taller. I guess nepotism is alive and well in the NHL too.

 

[Dead Coyote]

Truly love this pick for you guys.

I think in five years he could be your best player if the pick works out. I had him ranked #2, and I seriously considered him at #1, although I reluctantly deferred to Celebrini's more complete game and equally incredible season.

I think people way too unfairly knock his size. He's 5'10 (I've seen 5'11 in some places too), not 5'4. That's small for the NHL, but it's like two inches below NHL average height. It's a weakness, not an overwhelming weakness. And his weight is something that is also a legit weakness, but that's usually one of the easiest things for an elite athlete to improve on compared to their actual ability for the sport.

Aside from that, I think he has all the hockey talent to be a true star. I think he can be Jack Hughes with a more complete two way game. He says Hughes is the player he models his game after. I also think he's going to stick at center. I think the people claiming he's a winger just do so because of his height and weight. Look at players like Hughes and Bedard who both play center in the NHL that are his size. At the same time, you guys might not need another center, but either way he should be able to be an NHL center.

The way he can dominate with the puck, has elite skating, and also plays defense makes me think he probably has the most potential of any player in this draft. Would not surprise me if he ends up the best player in the draft when all is said and done. Utah (and like five other teams that passed him over) are going to regret it. I cannot believe they could possibly be stupid enough to pick a similar player positionally out of the same league because of his last name over a much better hockey player at literally everything other than being 1-1.5 inches taller. I guess nepotism is alive and well in the NHL too.

Far be it from me of all people to defend f***ing Utah, but Catton, while he buys in and competes, isn't some kind of defensive stalwart. He could definitely stick at C, it's hard to really say at this point in time, but to be the ideal C you need to be responsible at both ends of the ice, good enough on faceoffs to not be a liability, and be able to play and defend the middle.

Catton is a fantastic player but he gets most of his work done off the rush and will have to work on his strength and put on weight to be effective in the corners and on the cycle in the NHL. He does have very high upside but there's no shot he is the best player in this draft or that he is the favorite for highest upside when Celebrini, Demidov, Eiserman and guys like Parekh and Buium and Silayev and Levshunov exist. That's not to discount him, it's just too early to say that- we're literally 1 day out from the draft.

Iginla is a far better player on the cycle, his skills translate to the NHL better because of his size and toolset, and already is good defensively and plays the middle very well. I don't think he'll be a center either but at least currently he probably has a better chance at it than Catton does. I can also guarantee you that GMBA didn't draft him for his name at all, he drafted him for what he sees in the player, wrong or right. BA has never cared about anything but getting his player. He drafted Simashev, But, Moser, Doan, Beaudoin etc higher than they were ranked and at least so far has yet to be proven wrong.

Not gonna make this a thread about the two, Catton by far has more skill and upside, but it's absolutely wrong to say Iginla was picked solely for his name and nepotism.

 

[majormajor]

Truly love this pick for you guys.

I think in five years he could be your best player if the pick works out. I had him ranked #2, and I seriously considered him at #1, although I reluctantly deferred to Celebrini's more complete game and equally incredible season.

I think people way too unfairly knock his size. He's 5'10 (I've seen 5'11 in some places too), not 5'4. That's small for the NHL, but it's like two inches below NHL average height. It's a weakness, not an overwhelming weakness. And his weight is something that is also a legit weakness, but that's usually one of the easiest things for an elite athlete to improve on compared to their actual ability for the sport.

Aside from that, I think he has all the hockey talent to be a true star. I think he can be Jack Hughes with a more complete two way game. He says Hughes is the player he models his game after. I also think he's going to stick at center. I think the people claiming he's a winger just do so because of his height and weight. Look at players like Hughes and Bedard who both play center in the NHL that are his size. At the same time, you guys might not need another center, but either way he should be able to be an NHL center.

The way he can dominate with the puck, has elite skating, and also plays defense makes me think he probably has the most potential of any player in this draft. Would not surprise me if he ends up the best player in the draft when all is said and done. Utah (and like five other teams that passed him over) are going to regret it. I cannot believe they could possibly be stupid enough to pick a similar player positionally out of the same league because of his last name over a much better hockey player at literally everything other than being 1-1.5 inches taller. I guess nepotism is alive and well in the NHL too.

Just when I was enjoying Catton being a bit underrated, you had to come along and massively overrate him. That Hughes and Bedard are two of only a few sub-six-foot centers in the NHL should tell you how difficult it is going to be for Catton. Bedard is a unit, for one thing, and Hughes is much faster.

Catton's frame has been a topic of conversation. Not every kid can put on a lot of muscle and get significantly stronger. There are many NHLers we can discuss like that, who would be immensely more valuable players if they were stronger. If you have some reason to think that Catton in particular can get much bigger, then I'd like to hear why. You can't just say that anyone can do it.

Can he sort of be a center the way Hughes is? Maybe, but that's not really Hughes' strength. What he does as a center down low defensively is not valuable to the Devils, he also needs more help than most from his wingers when it comes to faceoffs and the forecheck. He might as well be a winger, he'd still carry the puck most of the time and score 100 pts and be the same player. That's the path for Catton.

You keep trashing Iginla because of his last name and can't seem to appreciate what makes him special as a player. His ability to protect the puck and win physical puck battles against bigger players is remarkable. He has very projectable tools for the NHL game. His puck protection is at the top of this class, and it's silly to say Catton does that better. Catton is one of the best rush prospects I've ever seen but he's not great on the wall, where the puck is most of the time.

Far be it from me of all people to defend f***ing Utah, but Catton, while he buys in and competes, isn't some kind of defensive stalwart. He could definitely stick at C, it's hard to really say at this point in time, but to be the ideal C you need to be responsible at both ends of the ice, good enough on faceoffs to not be a liability, and be able to play and defend the middle.

Catton is a fantastic player but he gets most of his work done off the rush and will have to work on his strength and put on weight to be effective in the corners and on the cycle in the NHL. He does have very high upside but there's no shot he is the best player in this draft or that he is the favorite for highest upside when Celebrini, Demidov, Eiserman and guys like Parekh and Buium and Silayev and Levshunov exist. That's not to discount him, it's just too early to say that- we're literally 1 day out from the draft.

Iginla is a far better player on the cycle, his skills translate to the NHL better because of his size and toolset, and already is good defensively and plays the middle very well. I don't think he'll be a center either but at least currently he probably has a better chance at it than Catton does. I can also guarantee you that GMBA didn't draft him for his name at all, he drafted him for what he sees in the player, wrong or right. BA has never cared about anything but getting his player. He drafted Simashev, But, Moser, Doan, Beaudoin etc higher than they were ranked and at least so far has yet to be proven wrong.

Not gonna make this a thread about the two, Catton by far has more skill and upside, but it's absolutely wrong to say Iginla was picked solely for his name and nepotism.

I wouldn't rule out Catton ending up the best of the draft. It's unlikely but his upside is sky high. I agree with you about Iginla and pavel's ridiculous takes.

 

[RayMartyniukTotems]

He's still two years away and who cares what you've said two years ago about his position.

Catton himself even talked about playing on the wing.

And if he's a center there also isn't a problem cause you can't have too many centers anyways.

In a few years time the Kraken are going to "field" a really young forward bunch that on looks like its going to be fun to watch and a Force game in and game out...Now if we could draft a another D-man or 2 cause the Goaltending "cupboard" looks full to the brim

 

[RayMartyniukTotems]

High skill, high talent, high ceiling player. Elite offensively. Great playmaker too. Dunno if he ends up as a C or a W but he could go either way. Seattle continues to swing for the fences and Catton might be the highest upside player in the organization now, outside of Wright.

And Wright and Berniers...what a Centre ice...Berniers,Wright,Fisker-Molgaard and Catton...Kraken Forward ranks for the Future looks sparkling another couple of scoring Wingers and 2 legit Top 2 D-man and the decade could be one of High scoring Offense,shut down Defense and more than adequate goaltending

 

[Brock]

Detailed report for you guys.

2024 NHL SCOUTING REPORT (VIDEO + GRADES): Berkly Catton, C, Spokane Chiefs (WHL)

McKeen's Derek Neumeier provides a detailed scouting report on 2024 NHL Draft prospect Berkly Catton including video and grades.

www.mckeenshockey.com

 

[Dead Coyote]

I wouldn't rule out Catton ending up the best of the draft. It's unlikely but his upside is sky high. I agree with you about Iginla and pavel's ridiculous takes.

It would take a lot for him to beat out Celebrini though, and there's a few other guys that may have a better career or figure it out faster. Definitely possible, but pretty unlikely.

 

[kihei]

Just when I was enjoying Catton being a bit underrated, you had to come along and massively overrate him. That Hughes and Bedard are two of only a few sub-six-foot centers in the NHL should tell you how difficult it is going to be for Catton. Bedard is a unit, for one thing, and Hughes is much faster.

Catton's frame has been a topic of conversation. Not every kid can put on a lot of muscle and get significantly stronger. There are many NHLers we can discuss like that, who would be immensely more valuable players if they were stronger. If you have some reason to think that Catton in particular can get much bigger, then I'd like to hear why. You can't just say that anyone can do it.

Can he sort of be a center the way Hughes is? Maybe, but that's not really Hughes' strength. What he does as a center down low defensively is not valuable to the Devils, he also needs more help than most from his wingers when it comes to faceoffs and the forecheck. He might as well be a winger, he'd still carry the puck most of the time and score 100 pts and be the same player. That's the path for Catton.

You keep trashing Iginla because of his last name and can't seem to appreciate what makes him special as a player. His ability to protect the puck and win physical puck battles against bigger players is remarkable. He has very projectable tools for the NHL game. His puck protection is at the top of this class, and it's silly to say Catton does that better. Catton is one of the best rush prospects I've ever seen but he's not great on the wall, where the puck is most of the time.



I wouldn't rule out Catton ending up the best of the draft. It's unlikely but his upside is sky high. I agree with you about Iginla and pavel's ridiculous takes.

I've read that one of Catton's possible downsides is that his compete level drops significantly when he doesn't have the puck. I'd like to hear your thoughts on that if you care to comment.

 

[majormajor]

I've read that one of Catton's possible downsides is that his compete level drops significantly when he doesn't have the puck. I'd like to hear your thoughts on that if you care to comment.

It was certainly true for most of this year.

I believe though that Catton's absurd TOI had a lot to do with that. They played him so much that he had to auto-pilot his way through much of the game. He also played through a hip injury later in the year, I'm not sure exactly when that started.

 

[The Marquis]

I've read that one of Catton's possible downsides is that his compete level drops significantly when he doesn't have the puck. I'd like to hear your thoughts on that if you care to comment.

I’ve heard that he still ends up in good positions despite seemingly low off puck movement. Some give read have credited it as intelligence, not laziness.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

It was certainly true for most of this year.

I believe though that Catton's absurd TOI had a lot to do with that. They played him so much that he had to auto-pilot his way through much of the game. He also played through a hip injury later in the year, I'm not sure exactly when that started.

This is what I have been reading, too. Overused in all parts of the ice and asked to drive the offense on the team with not much talent.

I am not sure how Spokane will look like next season, but hopefully Catton can get some help and get to focus on and round-up his 2-way game. Also, maybe put on some muscle ..

 

[wewantyoursoul]

Kraken's X header...pretty cool...

 

[Quackenator]

Wasn’t too thrilled with the pick as I wanted one of the D but hopefully it works out.

 

[seakraken]

One thing is sure. At least I think so. None of us are being paid to make these decisions. I feel like none of you could make my decisions that I encounter at work. The folks who make this choice are likely infinitely more qualified to do so. Seems apparent today. Weirdly.

Nice try Marquis — I’m way smarter at hockey than that turd Francis!