Future Blackhawks Prospect? Sizing up Berkly Catton

The Chicago Blackhawks have two first-round picks, one at #2 and the other at #18. While it’s going to likely be the pick of either Artyom Levshunov or Ivan Demidov at number two, who could they take at that 18th spot or potentially trade up a few more spots to snag? Chicago Hockey Now’s Future Blackhawks Prospect will be featuring a handful of prospects at that spot until the 2024 NHL Draft. Today we look at Berkly Catton.

Berkly Catton At A Glance

Spokane Chiefs
18 years old (1/14/06)
Games: 63
Goals-Assists-Points: 54-62-116
League/Team: Western Hockey League/Spokane Chiefs

He checks almost every single box the Chicago Blackhawks could want. High Hockey IQ? Check. Goal scoring ability. Absolutely. Can be a playmaker and a force on the other end of the ice? You’ve got it.

Catton would be another in a long line of speedy, skilled goal scorers that could fill out the top nine for the Blackhawks in the next two-three years. But the problem is he’s caught everyone’s attention and checks off those boxes for many other teams, too.

Will Catton Actually Be There for the Blackhawks?

This is where it gets problematic. Oliver Moore was supposed to be a top ten pick and he slipped all the way to the Blackhawks last year at #19. Catton, though, seems to have a lot more eyeballs on him because of the scoring binge he put on in the Western Hockey League. To be honest, he reminds me a lot of how Frank Nazar rose through draft boards back in 2022, where the Blackhawks took him at 13th overall.

To get Catton, it may require a trade to move up. But would the Blackhawks do that, too? General Manager Kyle Davidson will always take the best player available and Catton checks the box as such. A lot has been written about his play off the rush and for a team like the Hawks who are being built off speed and smarts, Catton is just about as perfect as a fit as any player in the draft. There’s a whole video of Berkly Catton showing just how good his transition play is.

So is it worth it to trade up? Absolutely–but much will depend on who is also available and how they grade out with the Blackhawks. As far as the prototypical player that the Blackhawks look for, Catton should definitely be at the top of the list if he falls out of the top ten. Craig Button has him at #14 while other scouting outlets have him as high as #3 (Smaht Scouting)  It could be similar to Mason McTavish, who rocketed through the draft boards and became a top three pick in 2021. Perhaps he hovers in the lower realms of the top ten.

But if he somehow falls further, the Blackhawks would be wise to make a few calls to try and grab him.

Previous Future Blackhawks Entries

Macklin Celebrini | Cole Eiserman | Artyom Levshunov | Michael Hage | Ivan Demidov | Cayden Lindstrom |