Seattle Kraken sign Berkly Catton to entry-level contract

Seattle Kraken general manager Ron Francis kicked off the morning press conference by announcing that 2024 first-round pick Berkly Catton has signed a three-year, entry-level contract worth $975,000.

Catton was selected No. 8 overall by Seattle at the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas last weekend.

After a rookie 2022-23 season with the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Spokane Chiefs that saw him score 23 goals and 55 points, the left-handed forward improved his production dramatically, racking up 54 goals and leading all draft-eligible WHL players with 116 points.

“I lived in my backyard shooting pucks,” Catton said at the NHL Draft Combine earlier this month. “I knew as a 16-year-old that I thought I had a decent season, but I wasn’t scoring as I liked. I attributed it to being where it should be, so I knew I had to work on it in the summer. Ultimately, I did.”

Internationally, Catton also captained Team Canada to a gold medal at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, scoring eight goals and two assists for 10 points in five games.

Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis wrote that Catton might be the most underrated top prospect in this year’s draft, and that there may be a disconnect between the average fan and NHL scouts. While the size might play against him, the amount of talent he possesses won’t. “That’s something teams will be willing to bet on,” Ellis said.

The 18-year-old will return to Spokane for his third full season, a quick 4-hour drive from Seattle. The shorter distance allows the Kraken to be hands-on with their top prospect throughout the 2024-25 WHL season.