One: Catton Impressing in All Zones
CHICAGO – There was a fleeting swatch of time Tuesday night in Detroit that 19-year-old Berkly Catton had seemingly registered his first NHL goal, only for the official scorer to properly credit the goal to Ryker Evans right after first intermission. Catton himself told Evans the puck didn’t deflect off him on Evans’ shot that got past Red Wings goalie Cam Talbot.
But, as importantly, Catton was again in the right place on the ice. In this case, screening Talbot with the help of two Red Wings foes at the moment the puck was zipping past. The Kraken’s 2024 first-round draft pick played well – again – in his 14th NHL game. He’s already ticketed to record 2025-2026 as the first year played on his three-year NHL entry contract.
“What I have really enjoyed about [Catton] is when you tell him something, maybe he makes a mistake, he doesn't make that mistake again,” said Seattle head coach Lane Lambert. “He's dialed in. He wants to learn. I do believe that away from the rink, he's studying what things we want him to do. When he's on the ice, he wants the puck. He's got a lot of great qualities.”
Catton’s time with the club has been more than a learning experience, and, as of late, he’s been lined up at center with Shane Wright moved to right wing, which encourages the 2022 first-rounder to be more opportunistic about his shooting. It’s clear Catton and Wright are both projected by the coaching staff as candidates to score more, starting as soon as this road trip.
Beyond the stat sheet, Catton has impressed teammates with his willingness to block shots, forecheck, and backcheck. Though Detroit captain Dylan Larkin managed to release a three-zone-long shot for a clinching empty-net goal, Catton nearly stole the puck for a last-minute attempt to tie the tight game.
Lambert has talked before about Catton’s high hockey IQ. He is seeing more in Catton, pretty much with each game, and seems to particularly like what the offensively-skilled teen is capable of doing to assimilate into the defensive systems of play installed by the coaching staff. It’s hard to argue the approach with Seattle off to a record start for the fifth-year franchise.
“There's also a willingness and an understanding as a young player in the National Hockey League that in order to gain trust, you have to be able to play away from the puck,” said Lambert, who clarified that all NHL coaches look for such acuity, not just himself and his assistants. “That’s what the game is about, playing away from the puck. Where are you? What are you doing? How are you handling things? That's offensively and defensively. Are you getting available when we have the puck without the puck? Because you don't have the puck in your stick very long. He’s done a really good job at that.”
Two: Game Planning for High-Octane Offense
Thursday here in Chicago, the Kraken will face another squad with offensive firepower. The Blackhawks, led by 20-year-old Connor Bedard's sizzling point streak (11 goals, 11 assists for 22 points in the last 11 games), are arguably the surprise team of the NHL (no argument here). The mission for Seattle is not much different from the game plan for Detroit, which took a hit on Joey Daccord, allowing a mid-range first goal that the goaltender likely would say he should have saved.
“We have to make sure that, first and foremost, it goes the same with every team we play rather than just which team can hurt you worse,” said Lambert. “We've got to manage the puck. If we're going to turn the puck over in the neutral zone, [teams like Chicago] are extremely good at transitioning. If they catch you out of position, that's when they can make plays.
“We want to be very, very solid with the puck, take care of the puck, and play in their zone. That doesn't mean we're on our heels or anything. We've got to attack and play in their zone. When they do get the puck back, we've got to make sure that we're tracking back and staying above them [between the opponents and the Kraken net]. It’s making it difficult for them.”
Three: Know the Foe: Chicago 5-0-1 Last Six Games
The 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick will be playing in his 170th NHL game Thursday. He is performing like the elite player he was projected to be and even wore an “A” as one of Chicago’s captains for the first time in Tuesday’s home win over Calgary. Bedard turned in his second hat trick with the first-ever on Oct. 28.
But Chicago is more than the budding superstar bidding to be the league’s leading scorer. The Blackhawks have quickly developed a young defensemen corps with a solid mix of offensively gifted blueliners mixed with elite defenders in the making. Spencer Knight, who had his ups and downs in the Florida Panthers' goalie rotation, is playing up to the potential long assigned to him with a 7-3-3 record that included some spectacular outings early season when Bedard and the offense were not yet in high gear. Former Kraken Ryan Donato (32 goals last season) and Andre Burakovsky have both chipped in with seven goals apiece, both spending some time on the wing with Bedard.
Projected Lineup (not official)
Marchment-Beniers-Eberle
Schwartz-Stephenson-Tolvanen
Catton-Gaudreau-Wright
Kartye-Molgaard-Winterton
Dunn-Larsson
Lindgren-Montour
Evans-Oleksiak
Daccord
