Scott Wheeler Just Ranked the Kraken's Prospect Pool No. 7, and Berkly Catton Is Leading the Charge

The Seattle Kraken prospect pool is climbing the NHL rankings, landing at No. 7 in Scott Wheeler's 2026 evaluations. That is a jump of three spots from last year when they ranked No. 10. The Athletic's Wheeler evaluated nearly 500 prospects across all 32 organizations, and the Kraken made a serious impression with 25 prospects worth mentioning in his final rankings.

Catton Is Playing NHL Hockey at 20 Years Old

At the top of the Kraken's prospect list sits Berkly Catton, the 20-year-old center who Wheeler ranked at the very top of the organization's Tier 1 prospects. Here is the wild part: Catton has been playing exclusively in the NHL this season, including stretches on Seattle's first line, and he is still eligible for these prospect rankings because of his age and AHL ineligibility. The kid is already producing at the pro level while Wheeler breaks down what makes him so dangerous.

Before landing in Seattle, Catton was a force in the WHL. He registered 54 goals and 120 points in a combined 72 regular-season and playoff games with Spokane, all while that Chiefs team lost more games than it won. He was the WHL's fourth-leading scorer in his draft year. But his pedigree runs deeper. He came into the league as a No. 1 WHL pick, led Canada Red to silver as captain at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge with 12 points in seven games, then captained Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup with a tournament-leading eight goals and 10 points in five games.

Last season, Catton produced near the top of the WHL with 151 points in 77 combined regular-season and playoff games. Wheeler describes him as a heady playmaker with multi-dimensional skill who can accelerate on the rush and handle the puck in tight spaces with ease. He tracks back defensively, has a dangerous release, and has drawn plenty of penalties with his skating ability. He even served as a top penalty killer in the WHL the last two years. The size is a question mark, but Wheeler believes Catton has the skill set to stick as a center at the pro level with legitimate top-six elements.

Two Elite Forward Prospects, But Still Missing That Top Defenseman

Beyond Catton, the Kraken's pool is led by two of the NHL's better forward prospects. The group is rounded out by interesting wingers, a center already playing in the league, some potential depth defensemen, and two solid goalie prospects. Jake O'Brien, an 18-year-old center from Brantford, was selected by Seattle in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft and also appears in the rankings.

One glaring hole: the Kraken have never had a true top-tier defenseman prospect since the organization's inception. That is the one piece missing from an otherwise intriguing pool.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.