Eyes on No. 8: Kraken Go On the Offensive

In a 2024 NHL Draft first round that Kraken director of amateur scouting Robert Kron called “wide open” after division rival San Jose selected consensus No. 1 pick, Macklin Celebrini, the Kraken were thrilled to see Western Hockey League Spokane Chiefs forward Berkly Catton still available at the eighth overall, picking up a prospect who scored 54 goals and added 62 assists for 116 points in 68 games. He was fourth overall in WHL scoring – Kraken 2022 second-rounder Jagger Firkus topped all skaters with 126 points – and the only 2024 draft-eligible player in the WHL’s top seven scoring leaders.

The 5-foot-11, 175-pound forward adds to the offensive leanings of Seattle over the first three draft classes for the NHL’s 32nd team, which included three first-round picks Matty Beniers (2021), Shane Wright (2022) and Eduard Sale (2023). Catton is considered a fast riser among scouts, proven by his breakout sophomore year in the WHL after being the league’s rookie of the year (23 goals, 32 assists) during 2022-23.

“We really liked him,” said Kraken GM Ron Francis moments after the pick. “He's a gifted offensive player. He’s got elite hockey sense, a high compete level. He's got a skill set that he can score and make plays.”

Francis and his scouting staff got the player they were hoping for, but not sure he would still be there at the No. 8 pick. But with Anaheim at No. 3 and Utah at No. 6 picking players not expected to go that high, the potential for Catton to wear Kraken blue was tantalizing. An expected top-10 run on highly-rated defensemen didn’t materialize until after the Seattle pick. The next four picks were all D-men.

For his part, Catton said when he heard “Spokane Chiefs” when future teammate Matty Beniers announced the pick, “I sort of blacked out.”

“I don’t remember much,” said Catton Friday night, walking through the arena after the first round. “It’s all been a whirlwind. My parents [dad Chris and mom Deserea sat alongside the new Seattle prospect] were so happy. It’s all super exciting.”

Catton said he thought his interview with the Kraken hockey operations group at the NHL Combine in early June was “really good” and “they asked me tougher questions, and I think I handled the challenge.”

Francis, a Hall of Fame center himself who is second only to Wayne Gretzky in career NHL assists and an all-time great two-way player, said 2022 second-round draft pick David Goyette and 2023 second-rounder Carson Rehkopf are both now projected as wings. That left open the need to add an elite center prospect to the Kraken’s pipeline.

“Centers are critical,” said Francis. “We’ve had a couple guys drafted at center who have since moved to the wings. So we felt where we were that depth at center was important for us. That’s what we were looking for.”

Scouts love the left-shooting center/wing’s skill set and more than a few rated him even higher than eighth overall among the 2024 NHL Draft prospects. Among the raves: “Dynamic, dynamic skater. Elite quickness. Elite speed. Can carry, create and drive play. He can take over a game if you need him to. Pretty safe to say that he will be a second-line forward, power play guy in the NHL.”

Among NHL scouts and several scouting websites, Catton gets top-five-in-draft-class marks for best hands, best straight skater, best offensive forward and best transition forward. Because Catton was a prolific scorer in his draft season, his defensive prowess might underestimated. Scouts like his “solid 200-foot game” and finding ways to pressure opponents in their own zone, creating turnovers.

His “high-end hockey IQ” (as cited by the aforementioned Robert Kron) affords Catton the ability to read developing plays and intercept passes in all zones, especially in the neutral zone, which is one reason why hockey talent evaluators see him as an elite prospect in transition from defense to offense.

One big plus in Catton’s hockey portfolio was his performance at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky tournament, which features the best under-18 players in the world who will be drafted next summer. As Team Canada captain, Catton scored eight goals and notched two assists for 10 points in five games, leading his nation to a gold medal.

"The Hlinka tournament was a huge confidence builder for me,” said Catton. “It’s the first tournament that I scored more goals than assists [by a 4-to-1 margin]. I was honored to be captain. My style is to lead by example and it seemed the coaching staff liked that.”

“Our staff was very high on Berkly,” said Kron during an exclusive interview Friday night. “He’s productive, smart and competitive. He drove the play and was a go-to guy on Spokane [as a 17-year-old] and best player on Team Canada at the Hlinka Cup.”

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