C Berkly Catton - Spokane Chiefs, WHL (2024, 8th, SEA)

[Bubbles]

Want me to show you clips of Tij Iginla, Noah Ostlund or Gavin Brindley? Thats my definition of what great skating is about.

Go ahead. You have fundamentally different opinions of Catton. I pretty much disagree with your assessments of him.

Another 2G, 1A tonight.

 

[landy92mack29]

Go ahead. You have fundamentally different opinions of Catton. I pretty much disagree with your assessments of him.

Another 2G, 1A tonight.

wait I thought Catton was bad defensively and doesn't play engaged why does he now lead the WHL in SHG??? Only 1 less shg than ppg

 

[Goldenhands]

Go ahead. You have fundamentally different opinions of Catton. I pretty much disagree with your assessments of him.

Another 2G, 1A tonight.

Well I watched his 3rd period tonight and I must admit he looked better than the 4-5 games stretch I watched some weeks ago. I have them on tape, could do a montage and it was quite ugly, his top prospects game wasnt good either. So I guess I will have to watch his upcoming games, maybe he figured some things out.

 

[TLEH]

I really didn't think his top prospects game was great. Wasn't really good hockey for a lot of guys that day.

I watch Spokane most nights they play. He's one of my favorites. Comfortable with him at 2. Definitely might not have the physical ceiling of some of the other guys at the top though.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I really didn't think his top prospects game was great. Wasn't really good hockey for a lot of guys that day.

I watch Spokane most nights they play. He's one of my favorites. Comfortable with him at 2. Definitely might not have the physical ceiling of some of the other guys at the top though.

Putting any stock into the top prospects game might be the biggest flaw of arm chair scouting there is.

Catton drove the bus at the Hlinka and he's driving the bus in the WHL. He could have had the shits in the top prospect game and no one would know.. one little all star game of nothingness should not factor into any evaluation.

 

[wetcoast]

He is a smooth, agile skater, but it lacks explosiveness at that size. I dont think the skating alone will hold him back, its more the sum of his flaws that worry me. He is small, weak, not agressive enough on pucks. Not a great motor or 200 ft. game. He is pretty skilled though, but Ive never questionned his talent level.

Just to be clear, he is not a bad prospect, I just like the other fowards more including Helenius and Iginla.

I have Catton around 15th OV.

Man if Catton drops out of the top 10, more likely to be nearer to #1 than #10 as well. I'll eat my shirt as this is such a bad take.

Catton has above the board very good to elite skills and simply is excellent at processing the play and will be a scoring star at the next level.

He isn't small just needs to fill out.

 

[austin63867]

wait I thought Catton was bad defensively and doesn't play engaged why does he now lead the WHL in SHG??? Only 1 less shg than ppg

FWIW I never said he can't play defense and his engagement questions were based on his off-puck game, not with the puck. He's still a Top 10 pick for me even if I feel that way.

 

[Goldenhands]

Putting any stock into the top prospects game might be the biggest flaw of arm chair scouting there is.

Catton drove the bus at the Hlinka and he's driving the bus in the WHL. He could have had the shits in the top prospect game and no one would know.. one little all star game of nothingness should not factor into any evaluation.

He had some bad games in the WHL as well, I watched about 8 of his games this year and he struggled with the physicality of the game and his game away from the puck wasnt pretty in most of these viewings. Maybe he figured some things out, but as much as I liked his Hlinka, I didnt like him much in the CHL this year, some kids like Lindstrom, Iginla were performing much better on 200 ft.

Im not really relying on you to point out what the player has to improve or the flaws in his game since you were a big time Smith homer last year and refuted any of my concerns about the player. Strangely, Sharks fans are now pointing out about the same concerns I had about Smith in his draft year.

 

[wetcoast]

He had some bad games in the WHL as well, I watched about 8 of his games this year and he struggled with the physicality of the game and his game away from the puck wasnt pretty in most of these viewings. Maybe he figured some things out, but as much as I liked his Hlinka, I didnt like him much in the CHL this year, some kids like Lindstrom, Iginla were performing much better on 200 ft.

Im not really relying on you to point out what the player has to improve or the flaws in his game since you were a big time Smith homer last year and refuted any of my concerns about the player. Strangely, Sharks fans are now pointing out about the same concerns I had about Smith in his draft year.

I'm beginning to think that Catton kicked your dog or something we have many clips and games to watch and his skillset is there but you are out to lunch if you don't think he is a top 15 pick this year.

 

[Goldenhands]

I'm beginning to think that Catton kicked your dog or something we have many clips and games to watch and his skillset is there but you are out to lunch if you don't think he is a top 15 pick this year.

Look I've been focussing on the Ds of this draft last 2-3 weeks, I havent watched Catton in a while, let me watch his next 3-4 games to see if his game has evolved.

Here is a shift by shift through 1 period from one of the games I have stored, Small sample size, but you can see some defensive passiveness and a lack of pace. Its dating from about 1 month ago.

 

[Juxtaposer]

Im not really relying on you to point out what the player has to improve or the flaws in his game since you were a big time Smith homer last year and refuted any of my concerns about the player. Strangely, Sharks fans are now pointing out about the same concerns I had about Smith in his draft year.

Even more strangely, not one Sharks fan thinks that we should have picked anyone other than Smith, given that we were never going to get Michkov, despite that. Almost like players who aren’t 1st overall caliber have flaws. Sharks fans are realistic about our prospects, us pointing out his flaws (which we all knew about, you aren’t some genius who saw something no one else did) doesn’t mean anything.

Catton is fantastic and a top-5 talent in this draft without a doubt.

 

[landy92mack29]

 

[Bubbles]

Nice! Spokane is a nice city, except for the meth.

And yeah, he looks up to Jack Hughes and his family. Which if there is a comparable, is close.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Nice! Spokane is a nice city, except for the meth.

And yeah, he looks up to Jack Hughes and his family. Which if there is a comparable, is close.

A pretty big except.

 

[wetcoast]

A pretty big except.

Sadly not many cities are exempt it's a huge problem that most of us choose to ignore.

 

[HuGort]

Even more strangely, not one Sharks fan thinks that we should have picked anyone other than Smith, given that we were never going to get Michkov, despite that. Almost like players who aren’t 1st overall caliber have flaws. Sharks fans are realistic about our prospects, us pointing out his flaws (which we all knew about, you aren’t some genius who saw something no one else did) doesn’t mean anything.

Catton is fantastic and a top-5 talent in this draft without a doubt.

Good chance he goes in top 5

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

wait I thought Catton was bad defensively and doesn't play engaged why does he now lead the WHL in SHG??? Only 1 less shg than ppg

You can be bad defensively and still be good on the PK. Happens all the time -- they're different skills. Not weighing in on the actual topic, just a side point.

 

[Faceboner]

A pretty big except.

I thought the meth was decent maybe a lil to much cut but I rock with the recipe

 

[WarriorofTime]

Putting any stock into the top prospects game might be the biggest flaw of arm chair scouting there is.

Why even have it if players won't play hard? Isn't it supposed to be a showcase for them in a setting where it's only Prospects (no 20 year olds, etc.) in a controlled setting?

 

[Juxtaposer]

Good chance he goes in top 5

I don’t really think it’s likely that he actually goes in the top 5—personally I have Catton sixth in my ranking—but he’s absolutely talented enough to go top 5. The issue is just that between Celebrini, the three big D, Demidov, and Lindstrom there, I have a hard time seeing NHL teams taking Catton before any of them. Hell, I have fever dreams of Catton dropping to the Sharks at the Penguins’ pick the way Benson dropped to 13th last year. I had Benson ranked fifth in 2023 and stand by that ranking.

 

[JeffreyLFC]

With Catton you need to analyze/project his potential and not just 1 or 2 games or even 5 games. His brain/execution is what set him apart (very quick in all phases). Always so quick and crisp. No hesitation in his game (it comes with the good and the bad for now) but I have no doubt he will adjust very well to NHL speed. He does not rely on his skating/brute strength or one specific attributes that could be easily nullified at the pro level. He is well rounded and getting better/stronger. I think he will become a very good NHL player.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

With Catton you need to analyze/project his potential and not just 1 or 2 games or even 5 games. His brain/execution is what set him apart (very quick in all phases). Always so quick and crisp. No hesitation in his game (it comes with the good and the bad for now) but I have no doubt he will adjust very well to NHL speed. He does not rely on his skating/brute strength or one specific attributes that could be easily nullified at the pro level. He is well rounded and getting better/stronger. I think he will become a very good NHL player.

You think he's at RNH level and projects similarly to the NHL? Or slightly better/worse?

 

[wetcoast]

You can be bad defensively and still be good on the PK. Happens all the time -- they're different skills. Not weighing in on the actual topic, just a side point.

Also how many draft eligible forwards who are top 10 in scoring an any CHL league are finished products like Patrice Bergeron anyways?

This kid is legit.

Why even have it if players won't play hard? Isn't it supposed to be a showcase for them in a setting where it's only Prospects (no 20 year olds, etc.) in a controlled setting?

It's still a single game and scouts and NHL teams should put more stock into the whole picture than a game or even a short tournament like the World juniors.

Skillsets and projectibility are the 2 most important things teams are looking for.

 

[TLEH]

He's definitely legit. It takes a bit of hockey/game understanding to see what he truly does well because he isn't physically over matching guys or just blowing by guys. He makes all the little plays and has more than enough tools to be a great NHLer.

 

[coooldude]

He's definitely legit. It takes a bit of hockey/game understanding to see what he truly does well because he isn't physically over matching guys or just blowing by guys. He makes all the little plays and has more than enough tools to be a great NHLer.

Your post made me think a little (from a Sharks POV), and I decided to troll through the old William Eklund thread before we drafted him 7OA in 2021. Controversy inbound (mildly)...

There were a LOT of people posting that Eklund should go top 5 in the draft, even some stumping for 1OA, calling him "the next Zetterberg" etc. Now, sure, he may end up there, and we're only 3 years out from that draft so it's still a bit early to evaluate. But I'm getting the same vibes with Catton. Extremely high IQ, a bit of a 2-way game (although some knocks on Catton's D-zone), "does all the little things right that project to the NHL and you have to be a bit of a hockey genius to understand," and a slightly undersized FWD whose "floor is as a 1st line scoring winger."

The Sharks boards are pleased with Eklund's development, he's pacing for 40 points in his first full season and he's even starting to play C with promise, but I think it's quite reasonable that he went 7OA and would have possibly been a bit disappointing if he had gone in the top 5. I doubt that CBJ would redo their Johnson pick, I doubt Detroit would redo their Edvinsson pick, definitely not NJD with Hughes, definitely not Power/Beniers/McTavish.

I'm sure there are a million ways to parse this out that Catton believers will say "bad comps / wrong / they're super different / etc" but at a high level, you generally see HFBoards *slightly* overvaluing a really highly skilled but slightly undersized forward. Catton seems super legit and he seems to have a bright future in the NHL but in the end, I'll be surprised if he's picked in the top 5, probably a happy pickup in the 6-10 range, just like Eklund was.