The Washington Capitals can go a couple different directions with the 17th pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. They could go the blueline route and get a defenseman like Czechia’s Adam Jiricek. There are also quite a few forwards they could be interested in. Some of the possible available names around the Caps pick include Beckett Sennecke of the Oshawa Generals (in the Ontario Hockey League), Michael Hage of the Chicago Steel (in the United States Hockey League), Igor Chernyshov of Moscow Dynamo (in the Kontinental Hockey League), and Berkly Catton of the Spokane Chiefs (in the Western Hockey League). With many forwards to cover, the first to get the profile spotlight treatment is Catton.
Journey to the WHL and Career in Spokane
Catton was born on Jan. 14, 2006, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Prior to playing for the Chiefs, he attended Shattuck-St. Mary’s and played for their 16U AAA team. For those who do not know, Shattuck-St. Mary’s is a school where many of their alumni have gone on to have successful careers in the NHL. Some famous examples are Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Jonathan Toews, Zach Parise, and Derek Stepan among others. Being able to grow your game at a program like that is huge, and Catton took advantage of his one season there. In 15 games played, he tallied 11 goals and 12 assists.
Catton also spent time over the years with various Saskatoon teams. He suited up for the Saskatoon Outlaws U15 AA team in 2018-19, the Saskatoon Bandits U15 AA in 2019-20, and the Saskatoon Contacts U18 AAA squad from 2019-20 to 2021-22. He then debuted for Spokane in the WHL for nine games in 2021-22.
Related: THW 2024 Mock NHL Draft Round 1: Our Writers Make Their Picks
2022-23 was when Catton played his first full season for the Chiefs. He finished second on the team in scoring with 55 points. Only Chase Bertholet had more with 69. He then followed things up in 2023-24 with a 116-point campaign, which led the team. All three seasons’ point totals with the Chiefs are shown below:
- 2021-22: one goal and three assists for four points in nine games
- 2022-23: 23 goals and 32 assists for 55 points in 63 games
- 2023-24: 54 goals and 62 assists for 116 points in 68 games
In the three campaigns that Catton played for Spokane, the club made the playoffs twice. He recorded no points in four games during the 2022 Playoffs, while he accrued four assists in four games during the 2024 postseason.
The Size Conversation
When talking about Catton’s downsides to his game, his size is what is going to get talked about. He is listed on his Hockey Writers Draft Profile (written by Logan Horn) as being 5-foot-11. I think it is in the best interest of the Capitals or any NHL team for that matter to look past this fact. Size continues to get overblown by many in the hockey world. There are plenty of examples of how players can overcome being smaller. Martin St. Louis, who is listed as 5-foot-8 on his NHL.com profile, is one of the best Tampa Bay Lightning players of all time and one of the core players in helping that franchise win their first Stanley Cup in 2004. Then there’s Brian Gionta, who is listed as 5-foot-7 and had a great career between his time with the New Jersey Devils, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, and Boston Bruins. With the Devils, he put up impressive stats from 2005-06 to 2008-09, his last season before heading to the Canadiens:
- 2005-06: 48 goals and 41 assists for 89 points in 82 games
- 2006-07: 25 goals and 20 assists for 45 points in 62 games
- 2007-08: 22 goals and 31 assists for 53 points in 82 games
- 2008-09: 20 goals and 40 assists for 60 points in 81 games
Then, after his time in New Jersey, Gionta was the captain in both Montreal and Buffalo. Not only was his skill appreciated, but so was his leadership. He captained the Canadiens from 2010-11 to 2013-14, and the Sabres from 2014-15 to 2016-17. In both instances with St. Louis and Gionta, they were players smaller than Catton is now. They had great careers and Catton can do the same.
Speaking of the Sabres, size was a recent conversation in the last NHL Entry Draft. Forward Zach Benson, which some have drawn as a comparison for Catton, kept sliding down the draft board with size being a factor. He was eventually picked by Buffalo with their 13th overall pick. He was so good during training camp that he made the Sabres as an 18-year-old. Benson, currently listed as 5-foot-10, ended up finishing his rookie season suiting up in 71 games, accruing 11 goals and 19 assists for 30 points. His point totals are sure to increase as well the more he develops his game.
Size gets talked about way too much. Players can beat the size they are. It has happened several times before, and it will continue to happen. The Caps should not let Catton’s size scare them away. He could be a very talented player for their team. The post-Alex Ovechkin era is going to be here before fans in D.C. know it. Catton can be one of those offensive faces of the franchise after it officially comes to an end and the organization is on to its next chapter.
