Berkly Catton looked too fast and too skilled for his peers at the 2025 Seattle Kraken development camp, a trend that carried over from his marvellous season in the WHL with the Spokane Chiefs.
Currently, where Catton plays the 2025-26 season is unknown, and it’s seemingly his performances leading up to the season which will determine his future. What is guaranteed is that Catton will not be playing in the NCAA or the AHL next season. Because he signed his entry level contract following his draft selection, he is ineligible to play college hockey, and because of the CHL-NHL agreement, he is unable to play in the AHL, providing him with two options, a return to the WHL where he is too skilled for, or the NHL, where he might not be ready for physically.
To make the NHL roster, the 19-year-old needs to impress during training camp and preseason. Even if he stands out, it’s still not a guarantee he will have performed his way onto the roster. HC Lane Lambert wants to play a defensive style of hockey, which requires his forwards to play structured and hard on the puck, something that can be challenging for a 174-pound forward.
The other factors which could prevent Catton from making the roster are the players he has to compete with. The Kraken have about nine players who are locked into the lineup, due to seniority and track record. The three players he could compete with who are projected to make the opening night roster are Tye Kartye, Frederick Gaudreau and Jani Nyman.
The Kraken have plenty of cap space to stash players as healthy scratches, but scratching Nyman or Catton, but forwards under the age of 20, isn’t great for their development. Nyman can be sent down to the Coachella Valley Firebirds without the use of waivers, which could open a spot for Catton.
Kartye is still quite young, just 24 years old, but doesn’t project to be more than a bottom-six winger. Gaudreau is a veteran 32-year-old bottom-six center whom the Kraken would feel comfortable leaving in the press box and plugging into the lineup when needed.
Catton’s versatility to play both on the wing or as a center should bode well for him, but he’ll need to not only prove that he can be a contributor offensively, but he can hold his own on the defensive side of the puck. If he accomplishes that during the preseason, the Kraken will likely provide him with his nine-game tryout (so he doesn’t burn the first year of his contract) to prove he can handle a full season in the NHL.
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Kraken Prospect Named CHL Sportsman Of The Year After Stellar WHL Season
<b>Toronto, CA </b>- Spokane Chiefs captain and Seattle Kraken prospect <b>Berkly Catton</b> was named the CHL <b>Sportsman of the Year</b> at the 2025 CHL Awards. The 19-year-old from Saskatoon tallied 109 points (38 goals, 71 assists) in 57 games with just 30 penalty minutes, finishing third in WHL scoring and helping Spokane reach the WHL Championship Series.