Berkly Catton’s first NHL season gave the Seattle Kraken a little bit of everything: an early assist, a delayed first goal, and enough steady work in the middle and bottom of the lineup to keep him in the conversation as the year wore on.
Catton made his debut Oct. 20 against the Philadelphia Flyers, logging 13:49 of ice time and picking up his first NHL point on an assist. From there, he settled into a 66-game rookie season that ended with 17 points, including seven goals and 10 assists.
The first goal took a while to arrive, but when it did on Jan. 6 against the Boston Bruins, Catton made it count. He beat the goalie two minutes into the second period for his first NHL tally, then added another later in the third on the power play.
For most of the season, Catton worked out of the bottom six. His early opportunity came because Jared McCann was injured, and he ended up sticking in the lineup rather than landing as a healthy scratch. Seattle did try him with Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle on the top line, but that look didn’t last long once it became clear he needed more time and more reps to grow into that role.
Even without top-line duty, Catton’s game held up. He logged the kind of minutes that helped the Kraken get through stretches of the season, and he chipped in offensively by setting up teammates. Frederick Gaudreau and Shane Wright both benefited from his passing touch, with Catton collecting assists on their goals.
There’s also plenty of runway left. Catton is in the second year of his three-year deal with Seattle, an entry-level contract worth $2.85 million with an average annual value just under $950,000. He’s not set to become a restricted free agent until the end of the 2027-28 season, when he turns 22.
That gives the Kraken time, and it keeps the cap hit manageable while Catton continues to develop. For now, Seattle has a young forward who already proved he can survive a full NHL season and still has more upside to unlock.
For his 2025-26 work, Catton gets a C+. It was a solid rookie campaign with clear room to climb, and the next step is making sure he earns a spot on the Kraken’s opening night roster in 2026-27 for the first time.
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Shane Wrights summer had the feel of a crossroads long before training camp turned the page to a new season. Seattle and Wrights camp, working with general manager Jason Botterill, spent time exploring whether a fresh start elsewhere might make sense, but the Kraken kept him in the fold after talks never produced the kind of return they wanted.
Now Wright is back in the picture in Seattle with a very different tone around his future. After being part of offseason trade discussions, his agent says he is fully committed to the Kraken, which leaves the coming season as a clear prove-it stretch for a player whose next step matters a great deal to the organization. [Read more 🡒]