Probably as the first team taking a Damn might start a run but if Catton falls past 10 he has the ability to become the best value pick in the first round this year and frankly I wouldn't be surprised if he went as high as 3.
C Berkly Catton - Spokane Chiefs, WHL (2024, 8th, SEA)
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Guadana
Registered User
He will not be Benson. Benson was very hard to play against player with very high compete level and great two way game. Catton isn't. If he will become e a player who will be drafted later than he how he will breakout as point producer, we should use another example from other drafts.
I don’t think he’s referring to stylistic similarities. Just that teams let size dictate draft position and allowed a clear difference maker to slip later than he should
WeThreeKings
Demidov is a HAB
That's correct. I thought that was clear from the qualifying sentences in my original post, glad it came across to someone else.
Guadana
Registered User
It wasnt. It could be said before the draft about player on the draft who will be drafted not in top-5. Its useless.
Overall compete level and positional game through all three zones is what separating Benson from Catton. Thats why questions for Catton are legit and Benson fall was a sequence of incorrect decisions. But we saw the same with Michkov previous draft, its not like Benson was the only one.
Catton could be the player who will be drafted lower than he should, still in pre draft circumstances he isnt perfect candidate for being drafted higher - as other candidates who can or can not be drafted higher in the draft day. Its all on GMs and scouts who will like some specific players.
Next year Catton will not be ready to be NHL player as good as Benson was this year.
So there are nothing with Benson. Still I wish Catton all the best. He is interesting player and deserve to be picked by any team from 7 to 14 pick.
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I think Catton offensive potential is higher or at least he showed more during his draft year. He attacked defender with more speed and creativity. I also think his shot is a bit better. But yeah Benson's overall game was better. It's also easier to look good playing for a powerhouse.
Impressive, well spoken guy. Seems to be pretty self aware... referenced his brain as his greatest asset.Measured 5'10.25". Only did upper body workouts but did pretty well in the bench press.
I thought his interview here was pretty impressive, definitely comes across as sharp. Much sharper (and longer) than most prospect interviews I watched.
Says he had dinner with Utah. Enjoyed his MTL interview. Guess I could see him going to either of those teams, although UTA still seems like they'd lean towards a D.
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Interesting that he went out of his way to mention Yakemchuk's skill multiple times, even though, on one occasion, he was prompted to talk about his(Yak's) physicality.
His fight with Iginla was brought up a couple of times.
I can see him dropping due to his size, but I think he will be a good player, if not a vg player. There seem to be a lot of bigger top prospects this year.... he is one of the few smaller ones.
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Guadana
Registered User
Im putting on two way game, positional game and compete level more. Stickhandling of Catton will not work as well on NHL level. And its not like Catton is on the level of skating with some other top pure offensive players who was drafted in recent years.
So im not saying that Catton cant develop some parts of his game, I think he will. Im just saying that having some other players over him or him over some other players can have justified reasons.
I think his stick handling and way he attacks defender a lot more translatable than many of the other good stick handlers from this draft and previous ones because he's very direct and doesn't make an awful lot of touches on the puck to beat defenders. Yes he has lots to work on, but that's true for all other prospects. I too understand why you'd have some other guys ahead of him, but I think he's a top 5 talent on talent alone.
Dionysus
Registered User
Simplicity and directness in stickhandling and attacking the prime scoring areas seem to be his strength.
Agree that it will translate better than fancy 1 on 1 moves and dipsy doodling. Catton can pass, shoot, and create space. Has the potential to translate well into the NHL and put up big points.
Can't believe that his skating is being criticized. His skating is a plus.
JeffreyLFC
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- Sep 29, 2017
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That's why I am not worried about him, he has it all to overcome his size deficiencies. Hands, Skating, Edge, Vision and shot. Play physical on him and he will figure out a way to pass it to a open player. Play passive and he will exploit the space to attack. Amazing player in space and transition.
Guadana
Registered User
The "problem" is he isnt really good skater to make it straight one on one moves in NHL. He isnt big. He should protect the puck but his legs are not his strength. He isnt really fast. And his defensive game is below many others prospects. So again - Im not trying to say he is bad prospect - he is good. But he isnt clearly top five and if he will not develop some part of his game as some other prospects will not develop some parts of their game - its questionable who will be better in NHL if they will make steps forward in only bright sides of their games.
Thats the reason we cant pencil Catton in untouchable group. We cant compare him with Benson because compete level, positional game, two way game, It doesnt mean he will not be successful. I think he will. But when I think about if he will be just better version of what he is and some other players will be better versions of what they are - it doesnt make Catton obviosly better. Offensive perimeter playmaker can be important but top-4 legit defensemen are more important. Or physical/two way scorers.
I still think some gms has him in top-5. some have not him in top-10. You never know where he will be picked, because its not the same list for all scouts. Reason why the number of the pick mean nothing. It doesnt make any player really better or worser. And you never know who will develop and how because different teams, circumstances, different partners, coaches, some teams have more open roster space, some teams have more pressure. I believe Catton would be legit second line player or even first line complimentary player.
BehindTheTimes
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- Jun 24, 2018
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His skating is described as excellent, or "high end" by almost everyone I've read. Don't know where you are getting your information from, but Catton's skating is a strength, and one of the best in this year's draft.
biturbo19
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- Jul 13, 2010
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The one thing i can see as a potential criticism of Catton's skating, is that it's clearly "good" at the Junior level, but he's got that "compact" build/body type on top of being smaller/shorter in general, to where i could see some teams wondering if there are going to be some sort of biomechanical limitations to it.
ie. Things like stride length. Where "good" skaters in Jrs tend to become "average" skaters at the next level. So it becomes a question of how close to "topped out" his skating ability is vs headroom to continue improving as he moves up levels. Where there's also a bit of a risk that he might be one of those guys at the next level who is more just "quick" and "agile" rather than "fast".
As a smaller player who is going to have to lean particularly hard on that skating ability at the next level to create for himself...that element tends to get put under even more of a microscope and scrutinized and nitpicked more heavily. It's a sort of sliding scale that adjusts expectations relative to how critical it is to their game translating as a whole.
landy92mack29
Registered User
person you're quoting doesn't think Catton is a good 2way player or has a high compete so it's pretty obvious they either haven't watched him or just making things up to drag him
Guadana
Registered User
He is good skater. But he is excellent. He isn't Jack Hughes and he absolutely not McDavid as skater. I don't know what different people writes. I'm watching by myself and I'm pretty happy with my track record. Pronmam said that Holtz is a good skater.
Catton is good. But its not enough for now to outskate first and majority of second pair defensemem in nhl. Or outstickhandling them with his skating. Of course he is better than majority on the draft, but again in nhl its very rare to find players who regularly doing this things with his level of skating.
His stickhandling doesn't work with manipulative moves on changing direction of movement of himself and defender, he is working more with the puck. He should work with balance of opponent and prorect the puck on the move. Of course if we are trying to really analyze what he is doing and what is going on in nhl mostly. But highlights is great, yeah, who cares about puckbattles in tranches when its 75% of the game.
For now from what he is having he should be very good perimeter playmaker. Thats a role. But thats not "top 5 no matter what" player from the draft. This description works for other players too. Yakemchuk is dumb positionaly, Parekh doesn't work in defense ar all, Nygard doesn't work with the puck and trying to give a pass no matter what, Sennecke is slow skater with low compete level, Iginla doesn't feel the space and lose the position in offebsive or defensive cycling sometimes, etc. Eiserman can shoot and thats all, Helenius doesn't gave elite tools. There are no guarantees with this players in terms of their path to their ceiling.
Reason why we can't say about them "top 5 and don't worry". Its not. With every player in 5/7 to 15 range we can talk about prospects and cons, we can find arguments to have one over another. And if IN THUS MOMENT we are saying "everybody will regret about not drafting player X" its a lack of understanding of prospects or lack of understanding of nhl or lack of watching this prospects. Or some of this in the same time.
If we are talking about potential regretting and comparing with Benson - it could be Nygard - he isn't as good playmaker, but he is faster and better skater, both are great in compete level, it could be Helenius - he isn't as good in stickhandling, may be compete level isn't little bit lower, but he is faster on the move, iq for all situations is great. It could be even Hage - good skater, fast enough skater, good two way game, good compete level, good size etc.
With Benson or with players like Kucherov its about thinking of the game on different situation. Even Lundell who looks great now for his role - he wasn't fast at all, he was just good shooter and passer, but he has great compete level and two way game, he thinks the game fast in different situations, made right decisions.
Of course if you want to analyze and make a deep dive. But if you don't- Catton looks very fun, his playmaking is great he works great with open spaces and creating spaces, his skating is goid enough. His hands are very good. He should work more on positioning in d zone, on his legs and start to work on puck battling. I believe he should be very good perimeter playmaker, may be even 80-90+ points player if everything will go right and I don't see really big problems for him to be at least 50-65 points player. Its a good and reasonable player to like and cheer for.
Watched tonns of him. Its a fair criticism. If you didn't see this in compare with other players from this draft - its not me who didn't watch the players enough.
WeThreeKings
Demidov is a HAB
No, it was clear - the other guy validated it for me and I read it again and it's very clear.
You just want to use it to springboard into a conversation on how you don't think Catton is as good as Benson. I was never making a comparison between the players themselves, only their situations.
- Jan 18, 2022
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My interest in Catton has to do with his translatable skills -- playmaking in motion, effectiveness with his stick on puck, release, vision -- and less to do with his percieved weaknesses. This is the exact same rubric one should use to judge every offensive star if you're looking for maximal upside. Patrick Kane's two-way play wasn't good, Kucherov doesn't love to take the body, Keller isn't a McDavid-tier skater, etc.
If you want a two-way player you don't pick him in the top10, if you want a forecheker you don't pick him in the top20.
Hockey is a 200ft game but different players have different roles, as long as Catton performs his role -- offensive star -- well that's all that matters.
I haven't looked at Demidov too closely but I reckon Catton's higher on my list.
If you want a two-way player you don't pick him in the top10, if you want a forecheker you don't pick him in the top20.
Hockey is a 200ft game but different players have different roles, as long as Catton performs his role -- offensive star -- well that's all that matters.
I haven't looked at Demidov too closely but I reckon Catton's higher on my list.
Random Forest
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- May 12, 2010
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I suspect if old prospect threads of Claude Giroux could be dug up from 2006-07, they’d read a lot like this one.
Not that Cattton will turn out like Giroux, but the “flaws” being described here don’t really strike me as good reasons why his obvious talent won’t translate.
Not that Cattton will turn out like Giroux, but the “flaws” being described here don’t really strike me as good reasons why his obvious talent won’t translate.
- Jan 18, 2022
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It's like the Mitch Hedberg line, when he was up-and-coming as a comedian his agents and producers would come to him and say "yeah you're good at stand-up, but, can you act?" and he'd be thinking 'If they think I'm good at standup why do they want me to do a completely other thing?'. You're a great chef, sure can cook, but can you farm? Hmm?
Catton's real good at making plays and beating defenders with smart passing and effective feints... but can he hip-check?
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Every year there is a Berkly Catton. There was a Benson and Perreault last year, an Eklund in 2021, and so on.
Not every year is there a Claude Giroux. And the reasons why the former don't turn into the latter every time are why the criticisms come up every time - because they're the likely reasons why the player doesn't become Claude Giroux.
Of course Catton could. But so could every highly skilled, intelligent, undersized player who lights up juniors every year. But not all of them do. Catton is a great prospect but he's still not likely to become Claude Giroux.
Not every year is there a Claude Giroux. And the reasons why the former don't turn into the latter every time are why the criticisms come up every time - because they're the likely reasons why the player doesn't become Claude Giroux.
Of course Catton could. But so could every highly skilled, intelligent, undersized player who lights up juniors every year. But not all of them do. Catton is a great prospect but he's still not likely to become Claude Giroux.
