Latest news with #Catton
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Fun-loving Nottingham dad dies just days before his wedding after e-scooter crash
A Nottingham man has died after colliding with a car door while riding an e-scooter, just days before he was due to get married. Scott Catton, 54, was involved in the crash in Ridgeway, Top Valley, on the evening of Thursday, June 5. The dad-of-one, who suffered a catastrophic head injury, died in hospital on Saturday afternoon, having been due to tie the knot with his long-term partner on Monday. Nottinghamshire Police confirmed it is investigating his death. Mr Catton, who had a 13-year-old son, was described as a "great, fun-loving" dad by his family. 'We've gone from a wedding to planning a funeral. His partner is a mess," said his brother-in-law, Phil Bates. READ MORE: Police issue warning after report of drone spying through woman's bedroom window READ MORE: 'I left a bag of garden waste outside my back gate. I wasn't expecting a £1,000 fine for fly-tipping' 'He was great, a fun-loving, bubbly character. He was really into his sports - football, cricket, boxing. Everybody loved him. No one had a bad word to say about him. I was really close to him." Mr Catton was riding his e-scooter back to his home in Top Valley when someone opened their car door, his family said. "He just hit it," said Mr Bates. Emergency services were called to the scene and he was taken to the intensive care unit at the Queen's Medical Centre. Mr Catton's life support was turned off two days later. 'We found out straight away and went straight to the hospital, where we spent most of the weekend," said Mr Bates. Nottinghamshire Police said its officers were investigating the incident but were unable to share any more information at this stage. A fundraiser has been set up by the family of Mr Catton, which has so far raised more than £5,000. "We had to say goodbye to a much-loved friend, partner, father, uncle and brother," reads the GoFundMe. "I am trying to raise funds to give him the send off that he deserves. Any remaining funds will be put into trust for his 13-year-old son he leaves behind."
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
East Peoria Police honor fallen officer nearly a century after his death
EAST PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — The East Peoria Police Department memorialized a fallen officer nearly a century after his death while recognizing current members of the department at the Festival Building on Thursday. 40-year-old Henry Kounse was shot and killed by a felony suspect while in the line of duty on Feb. 10, 1931, and he is the only East Peoria police officer to ever die while on the job. The memorial service featured bagpipes and a presentation of flowers to his surviving family members. Police Chief David Catton and Mayor John Kahl were among the speakers. After the ceremony, Catton said he hopes this serves as a reminder to the 50 officers currently employed by the department of the dangers of police work. 'They're out there every day doing it on the street and making arrests. But sometimes I think the safety part they forget about, and this just is that little extra reminder to really embody safety,' he said. After the memorial was the department's yearly awards ceremony, where different officers were recognized for the efforts they made over the past year. Catton said it's an opportunity to highlight the good work of his officers. 'We don't always get it right because we're human beings, but we do our best and it just gives that extra opportunity to really say thank you and to highlight some of their efforts that they did on a daily basis,' he said. This week is National Police Week, and Catton asks the community to thank a police officer if they get a chance to do so. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 WHL Championship Series Preview: Medicine Hat Tigers Versus Spokane Chiefs
Prospect News: Catton Reaches Milestone As Chiefs Face Elimination In WHL Championship Finals SPOKANE, WA — The Spokane Chiefs find themselves on the edge of elimination in the WHL Championship Finals after back-to-back losses on home ice to the surging Medicine Hat Tigers. With a dominant 5-2 win on Wednesday night, the Tigers now hold a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series and are just one win away from hoisting the Ed Chynoweth Cup for the first time since 2007. 1:09 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
New York Times
30-01-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Seattle Kraken are No. 10 in 2025 NHL prospect pool rankings
Welcome to Scott Wheeler's 2025 rankings of every NHL organization's prospects. You can find the complete ranking and more information on the project and its criteria here, as we count down daily from No. 32 to No. 1. The series, which includes in-depth evaluations and insight from sources on nearly 500 prospects, runs from Jan. 8 to Feb. 7. Advertisement The Kraken have a deep pool in terms of quantity, with 27 prospects who were considered for their top 15 here. The addition of No. 8 pick Berkly Catton gives them a star prospect at the top as well, offsetting the graduation of Shane Wright to the NHL (Catton's got a higher offensive ceiling than Wright, too). 2024 prospect pool rank: No. 12 (change: +2) GO DEEPER NHL prospect pool rankings 2025: Scott Wheeler evaluates all 32 farm systems The WHL's fourth-leading scorer last season, Catton registered 54 goals and 120 points in a combined 72 regular-season and playoff games on a Spokane team that lost more games than it won. He had real pedigree even before last season, too, as a No. 1 pick into the WHL who was an offensive catalyst on a bad Chiefs team in his rookie season and who also led Canada Red to silver as captain at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge with 12 points in seven games and then again captained Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup with a tournament-leading eight goals and 10 points in five games. He has continued to build on his strong statistical profile this season as well, producing near the top of the WHL again and looking like he's playing with his food since the arrival of Capitals top prospect Andrew Cristall (they're the best duo in the CHL for me right now). Catton's dangerous whenever he's on the puck and shines with his knifing, slippery game. Inside the offensive zone, the way he baits and shades, drawing players to him and then playmaking past them with a pass or a cut, is pretty impressive to watch. Catton is a heady playmaker who uses spacing to his advantage and sees the ice at an advanced level, regularly executing quick plays through coverage or delaying into a pre-planned play. He's got multi-dimensional skill, with an ability to play both with speed on the rush (he's a smooth, fast and nimble high-end skater) and more slowly inside the offensive zone when the pace ramps down and he has to spin away from pressure (which he does so well). He's got great instincts offensively. He tracks back consistently and will get up and under sticks to win his fair share of battles, with more room to round out his game defensively (mostly inside his own zone) and steady progress made on that front. He supports play well off the puck defensively, which has been a focus of his this year. He gets to the guts of the ice and also makes plays out wide. He thrives in tight spaces and on cutbacks, he can play on the perimeter or take it to the net, and he's got a dangerous and quick release while moving. He does such a good job losing defenders with his back to them to avoid getting pinned down because of how adjustable his skating is through stops and starts and tight turns. He draws a lot of penalties with his skating and has also been a top penalty killer in the WHL the last two years because of his ability to pounce and create offense short-handed. He's got some very translatable top-six elements with his skating and skill set. I believe he's got the chops to stick as a center despite being on the smaller side as well, because you want him getting touches lower in the zone so that his skating can lead in transition. He's got a bit of an injury history which has impacted a couple of offseasons and led to him sitting out U18 worlds, but he's an exciting talent with high-end offensive chops. Advertisement I debated players 2-4 on the Kraken's list in any order but ultimately settled on Rehkopf because of his finishing talent. A toolsy, rangy forward (Rehkopf has played a lot at both center and wing, but has been primarily a center the last two seasons in Kitchener and Brampton) with good straight-line speed and an NHL shot and skill, Rehkopf can impress with his one-on-one ability for his size, his puck control and his ability to make plays in direct attacking sequences. He impressed scouts in a depth role with Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and was cast as a bit of a potential two-way-checker type at the next level in some early conversations I had with scouts. But that's not how he is known around the OHL. He was perceived to be a one-dimensional offensive player in his minor hockey days (including by Kitchener when it picked him) and that has become how he's viewed nowadays (which was evident in the way Team Canada staff spoke about him as basically only a scorer ahead of and during his two World Juniors, both of which I felt he should have been used more in). I wrote ahead of the draft that while he scored 30 goals in his draft year (not easy to do in your draft year), 'I think he might just be scratching the surface (and) the team that drafts him in the second round should look to mold him into an attacking winger with a dangerous and accurate shot, rather than a checker.' Last season, he then scored 58 goals and 106 points in 70 combined regular-season and playoff games, leading the OHL in power-play goals. He has continued to score at one of the highest clips in the OHL again this season as well and was a standout at Canada's selection camp for the World Juniors before getting into just two games. He is so, so dangerous as a shooter straight-up with goalies. He has this little feint he does pre-release before he lets it go. It looks like as he settles into that feint, he's comfortable getting rid of it at any time, too. There are times when he will force it and his decision-making isn't always buttoned up, but he has also shown some creativity. He's got great quick-twitch hands and footwork into his shooting patterns. And while his play off the puck isn't his calling card, I think it's better than it gets credit for and the pendulum of perception about him may have actually swung too far back. I've seen him finish all of his checks in a game (including delivering some hard ones), win back pucks, stay above pucks defensively, go to the front of the net on screens instead of just looking for his shot out wide, etc. He's a very capable forechecker. He does need to tighten up with the pucks at times (he can be a little too careless) but he creates a ton of looks for himself and his skating, skill and especially shooting are projectable. He also takes good routes, finds ways to get loose without necessarily cheating for it and has clear power-play value. He's got some natural tools and now it's just about building use-cases for them so that he can apply and get the most out of them at the NHL level someday. I'd bet he's more of a top-nine-scoring winger at the pro level than a center, though. Advertisement Firkus had an incredible final season in the WHL last year, winning CHL Player of the Year and the WHL title with Moose Jaw. He registered an incredible 77 goals and 162 points in 87 games split between the regular season, playoffs and Memorial Cup, both tops in the CHL by a wide margin. This year, he has produced respectably for a 20-year-old rookie playing 14 minutes per game, scoring just over half a point per game. Firkus is one of those little guys who just always seems to be around it and showing talent when he is. He plays the game with pace, energy and skill so that you can't help but notice him shift to shift as he dashes around the ice making plays offensively. With the puck, defenders struggle to stick with him off cuts and when they do he's got the craftiness to beat them in other ways. Without the puck, he races in and out of pockets to get open. The result is an at-times magnetic game that pulls you (and opposing players) in and then beats them with aggression and intention. He's not an explosive skater but he works and he's both quick and nimble, plus he has added a bit of a straight-line burst/acceleration. His slight frame (5-foot-11, 163 pounds) made him a second-round pick instead of a first-rounder, but he has endeared himself to just about everyone with the way he plays and it's clear watching him that he feels he can go out and create offense every time he's on the ice. He's a slippery, always-threatening player who defenders — even, and maybe especially, those who are much bigger and stronger — either can't stop because he pounces on opportunities and beats them before they get a chance to, or struggle to stop even when they get a crack at it. There are times I've wanted to see him play a little quicker against better competition (not in movement but in decision-making). I know some folks believe he'll become the classic AAAA guy who lights it up in the AHL but never really becomes a full-time NHL guy, and those people were probably emboldened by his quiet showing at Team Canada's selection camp for the World Juniors last year and his fine but not sexy production this year, but I won't be the least bit surprised if he becomes a top-nine winger with some skill and quick-strike ability with the right patience and coach. Not every player in the NHL has to fit the same mold. Sometimes you need an opportunistic little water bug like Firkus. It has been tricky evaluating and contextualizing Sale at times over the course of his young career; first when he was above two points per game (99 in 44) in Czechia's top junior league three years ago doing things that had never been done and smashing (and even doubling in some cases) the production of recent top Czech players at the same age (including first-rounders like Jakub Voracek and Tomas Hertl) and then as he struggled with the transition to the pro game in Czechia; he has played to some real highs and lows internationally (which included looking like one of the most talented players at four international events in Germany for U18 worlds, Red Deer for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Switzerland for a second U18 worlds, and Ottawa at his last World Juniors, but also coming and going at the World Juniors in Halifax and Gothenburg) and also struggled to live up to his talent in the OHL in both Barrie and Kitchener. The Kraken bet on the individual skill level, hoping that the consistency, competitiveness, habits and style could be worked upon. I saw the talent and the risk, too, and I would have taken the same chance at about the same point in the draft as well. Throughout, there were times when various coaches didn't trust him. This season, though, has been a positive, not just on the back of captaining the Czechs to a bronze medal in Ottawa, but also in the AHL, where his skill has semi-regularly flashed and his rookie year in Coachella should be considered a step in the right direction so far. He's a smooth skater who is noticeable in transition for both his ability to weave up ice and facilitate and also his ability to create breakaways for himself and beat goalies one-on-one. He's got superb vision and grades highly at dissecting coverage as a passer. I love him on the half-wall/point on the PP with his ability to hit east-west seams (he just seems to see every lane and opening). He can slow it down and pick things apart or hurry up his passes through holes. He has shown a knack for making big plays at big moments and can really shoot it, whether with a quick-release wrister or his dangerous one-timer. He's also a dexterous player who has good size (which will fill out). He can beat you on the perimeter with his skill (highlighted by excellent one-on-one hands-on defenders). But he lacks competitiveness (though it does seem to be coming around a little) and everyone would like to see him play with a little more effort both on (going to the guts of the ice more) and off the puck (cutting down on his gliding and puck-watching/keeping his feet moving and involving himself) at times. When he does go to the inside, I've seen him get sticks on tips and redirects. He's prone to drifting at five-on-five but his eyes light up and his head swivels when the puck lands on his stick, and he can make skill plays against the grain. He's got poise and patience on the puck (sometimes too much so). He's got a multi-dimensional shot. He just needs to continue to work to involve himself in the play more. He has cut down a little on the moments of carelessness/turning pucks over, allowing his finesse on the puck and that game-breaking quality to be the thing that catches you instead of all of the mistakes/bad habits. The talent level is clear but it doesn't always work in practical hockey terms like it shows in flashes, and the result is a player who has faded in games at times over the course of his career and comes with a boom or bust profile. I'm a firm believe that not all 12 forwards on an NHL team need to be worker types and he still has a lot of work to do if he wants to get there as a skill guy, but the talent level is there. Nelson has had a strong start to his pro career in the AHL this season, producing at a good clip for a 20-year-old defenseman with solid defensive results while playing just under 18 minutes per game and often more than 20 of late. There were actually times three seasons ago when I wanted him to play more of a looser, attacking style because I thought he was capable of even more offensively than his 61 points in 79 games already revealed, but some of that was the system played in North Bay in his draft year. Two seasons ago, he then just completely took charge of games with a strong Battalion team, leading all OHL defensemen in shots on goal (296, more than four per game). Last season, which included an injury scare when he fell and hit his head on the ice during a fight (missing a few weeks with a concussion), I saw more of the same in the OHL, he finished with another 66 points in 70 games, and I liked him at both Canada's selection camp for the World Juniors and then in the tournament when he was called up late to fill in for injuries. (I thought he looked confident in a limited role as the team's No. 7 D and outplayed a couple of the D who were getting more reps and really struggled.) Advertisement A No. 1 pick into the OHL, Nelson has always been a draw for his offensive skill and advanced physical build. He's a stocky, athletic kid who is the most physically well-built prospect I've come across in the 2004 age group (he's 5-foot-10 but about 200 pounds of bulky muscle). There's some risk-taking that comes with his game but as he learns to simplify a bit, he's got the makings of both a modern and throwback D (he doesn't shy away physically because of how strong he is). His head is always up, his shot pops and he's not afraid to use it (a trend that has continued this season with high shot totals in the AHL, a positive sign). He's eager to activate up ice and join the rush or lead a transition sequence, he side-steps pressure with ease, and while I wouldn't say he's fast, his stride is compact and balanced through forward and backward pushes and aggressive and almost choppy through his crossovers (in part because of how darn big he is for his height). He's got a presence and swagger about him out there, too, always looking confident, decisive and very communicative. He pounds his one-timer. He makes plays on exits and entries under pressure to shake past opposing players. He's got active feet in and out of give-and-gos and off the line to involve himself in plays and present an option. He more than holds his own defensively for a 5-foot-10 D. He's never lackadaisical defensively (I think there are times when he's actually gripping the stick a little too hard and a little too dialed in, with the result of some chasing at the expense of positioning). He steps up physically and closes gaps. He's got a good stick and breaks up plays defensively with diving slide plays. He's unique (in good ways) and while I debated slotting him lower here, I think he's going to surprise some people and make it as an everyday NHL defenseman. Nyman's a big, strong-like-an-ox, heavy kid (6-foot-4, 217 pounds) with an uncharacteristic playmaking feel. The more I've watched him these last four years as he transitioned from point-per-game second-tier Mestis player to one of the better scorers (regardless of age!) in Liiga and now Coachella's leading goal scorer as a rookie in the AHL, the fonder I've grown of the advanced development path he's on. Then you contextualize it against his July 30 birthday and the fact he's 20 and there's a lot to like. He stands out on the ice for more than just how big and strong he is (and how hard he shoots the puck out of his curl and drag), too. He also has good playmaking feel, the right instincts off the puck and great hands in tight. And while he carries a lot of weight around (and he'll have to be careful not to get too heavy), he moves well for his size, can really get going, regularly puts defenders on their heels in transition and off the wall and sometimes even gets to the middle inside the offensive zone (he's a lot to handle when he drops his lead shoulder because of how strong he is). Add in a comfortable one-timer and those surprising handles on the puck and you've got a player who can finish and also make things happen off the cycle (I've seen him power to goals, pound goals and also show small-area skill as a soft passer). He's not quick in short bursts/races, but he's strong pushing into space and has a clear pro frame and skill to build upon and develop into a complementary NHL winger. I'm a fan. Winterton became a tough prospect to project and evaluate due to a combination of the pandemic and injury, so it has been nice to see him get consistent games, stay healthy and push into some NHL call-ups over the last two seasons because it followed 675 days between OHL games from March 2020 to January 2022, getting drafted because of a strong performance in a third-line role for Canada at U18 worlds in Texas, eventually returning and playing quite well in the Hamilton Bulldogs' run to an OHL Cup title and Memorial Cup appearance while dealing with a never-ending shoulder injury, offseason surgery, missing all of NHL training camp and the first four months of two seasons ago and then getting traded from Hamilton to London before finishing his junior career on a dominant first line with would-be draft picks Easton Cowan and Denver Barkey. When healthy, Winterton has often looked like a potential bottom-sixer to me (and impressed others enough to have been brought up to me as a sleeper repeatedly by NHL and OHL folks during the 2021 draft year). He's a rangy winger who plays a predominantly straight line, north-south game that is built upon a good in-motion release, a strong give-and-go game and offensive zone instincts that allow him to time his routes into space to get open or pounce on rebounds. He's the kind of player who gets into the thick of things when there are battles to be won but can also hide off coverage when there aren't. His stride is balanced and controlled. He's comfortable with his first move with the puck (though he's not going to dance past more than one guy usually). He uses spacing really well to take what's given. He knows when he can push into a gap in coverage and when he needs to make a safer play. He's strong in puck protection and plays through bumps. He's also a strong defensive player who can penalty kill, stays above the puck when he needs to, tracks the play effectively and hard, sticks with opposing carriers and wins those battles with body positioning, lifts and steals. He might just become a call-up guy rather than a full-timer, but he's got a solid chance of becoming that as well. Fisker Mølgaard might be one of the most under-the-radar B/B+ prospects in the sport right now. Advertisement A Danish prospect, he played 41 games in the SHL two full seasons ago with HV71 and led the Division 1A U18 worlds in goals, assists, points and plus-minus as the tournament's top forward award winner to help Denmark to a silver medal and nearly promotion into the top flight. Last year, he continued to build on his advanced pro experience as the SHL's highest-scoring under-19 player (ahead of players like David Edstrom, Felix Unger Sorum, Axel Sandin Pellikka, Anton Wahlberg and Otto Stenberg, who were drafted ahead of him) while playing 15 and a half minutes per game. And this year, his third as a full-time SHLer and still a teenager, he has taken another step since returning from an injury he suffered in HV71's first game of the season, playing close to a point per game again as the league's most productive player in his age group (now U20) and doing it to positive two-way results. Mølgaard plays a driven, hardworking game that blends above-average skill with strong skating to push tempo, get after it and make quick plays and decisions with the puck. His skill isn't flashy but he plays to positive results, drives results, reads the ice at an advanced level on and off the puck and projects as a center (though the one area of his game that needs work is in the faceoff circle). I could see him becoming an up-and-down-the-lineup type with continued development. His game should work on North American ice, too, and he's expected to come over to the AHL after this season. One of the younger players in the 2023 draft due to his late-August birthday, Price impressed scouts with his creativity and vision at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup three summers ago; he was Kelowna's most productive defenseman as a 17-year-old two seasons ago; he played to 66 points in 73 combined regular-season and playoff games last year; and he was one of the only Canadian players who exceeded expectations at this year's World Juniors in advance of a trade from Kelowna to Lethbridge. He's got good size (6-foot-1, 190 pounds) and sees the ice at an advanced level, consistently executing east-to-west plays and passes through coverage. He plays the game with confidence, transports the puck smoothly and can use his feet to influence play. He can make plays under pressure and side-step past the first layer. He can attack inside the offensive zone with smooth control. I would like to see him scan and shoulder-check a little more defensively, as he can be prone to mistakes going back to pucks or under pressure in his own zone. His defensive game has come along, though, and he has put the pieces together nicely over the last year or so (which speaks to the late birthday and the added runway he had in junior to get better before he turned pro), adding more of a shot-blocking element. He'll still occasionally get beat playing too tight or setting a bad gap but he's got good mobility and a decent stick. Price should become a good AHL defenseman and I think he's got a chance to play NHL games as a modern-styled depth defenseman. If you've followed my work closely, you'll know that Goyette was a favorite of mine dating back to a sensational performance in Calgary at Hockey Canada's summer showcase three summers ago (and that I felt he was under-utilized with Team Canada at U18 worlds in Germany, even though he still didn't play his best with the linemates/minutes they gave him, which ultimately contributed to his late-second round selection). Before the draft, I wrote the following: 'Look for him to follow a similar path to that of recent post-draft breakout junior star Philip Tomasino.' And that's exactly what he did in junior, becoming one of the OHL's leading scorers in each of his last two seasons (and its leading scorer last year with 117 points). His transition to the AHL this year has been a challenging one, though, as he has been caught up in a numbers game up front on a Firebirds team with lots of young forwards vying for a limited number of top-nine jobs. I still think he's got a chance to find his way through it and emerge as a top AHL forward over the next few years. Goyette's an impressive athlete. He's a beautiful, effortless skater with a flowing stride who catches and handles pucks with ease at speed. He tries (and executes) difficult plays offensively with his hands by finessing pucks under sticks, through feet and into space for himself. He stays on pucks inside the offensive zone by keeping his feet moving to get to 50/50 pucks first or getting up and under sticks and pushing through board battles to extend sequences. He can beat defenders one-on-one to create for himself by pulling them to the inside and beating them with a cut back out wide, or just by going right into coverage. He can draw them in so that he can feed pucks into soft spots in coverage for his linemates. There's just a breeziness to his game that is hard to find. He's also a player who frequently came up in my conversations with coaches and general managers around the OHL as someone who certainly had their respect (he was more well-respected around his league ahead of the draft than by NHL scouts). I remain a fan and a believer in his skill and skating, though I'm not sure if he's a center or a winger at the pro level and he'll need to produce more offensively for a 5-foot-11 forward. I think there's a good chance he just becomes a AAAA type but I could also see him come into his own at the pro level in his mid-20s and play some NHL games. Dragicevic was one of the more difficult evaluations in the 2023 draft and has remained one since. In his draft year, he led a poor Tri-City Americans team in scoring by 11 points, registering 15 goals and 75 points in 68 games. Typically, a player with that kind of statistical profile would rank in the first round, especially when he's a 6-foot-2 righty. But Dragicevic's game has some real warts, highlighted most notably by, as one scout aptly described to me, 'clunky feet.' Last year, though the point totals didn't look as gaudy (50 in 66), he was again a play-creator for another poor Tri-City team. This season, on a more competitive Prince Albert team, his offensive totals have really popped again but I've often found myself still wanting more from him defensively, especially as a 19-year-old when he should be taking steps in the areas he's deficient in. Advertisement There's work to be done, for sure. He can give too much in his gaps, likely to compensate for his footwork and also his processing speed (he just doesn't pick up on when to close gaps in real time fast enough). He lacks foot speed going in straight lines forwards and backward, where his stride can look rushed and heavy, and his pivots are an issue. There are obviously some legitimate tools, though, too. He uses his shoulders as a tool across the blue line to make defenders go to one knee and shape shots through. He evades pressure well because of his hands and fakes. He has OK edges crossing over across the line or dropping back onto his heels in possession. He's comfortable carrying the puck and eager to make plays, with the finer skills needed to execute through seams and stickhandle his way out of trouble. His skating and lackadaisical decision-making reminds me of a lesser version of Evan Bouchard at the same age, and Bouchard is a kid I was higher on than most who has worked out. I'll be fascinated to see whether Dragicevic will find his way and/or whether his defending will hold up enough to get him out there often enough for his offensive tools to produce at the pro level. I expect he'll be productive in the AHL at a minimum, though. I've spent a fair amount of time watching Ottavainen over the last few seasons and he has piqued my interest as a kid who is intriguing to study as he tries to climb into the NHL. He's really big (now 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds) but doesn't play the stay-at-home game you might expect out of a defender of that frame, or one who has produced as modestly as he has at the pro level (though his production in Liiga was respectable for a player his age and he has had respectable numbers in the AHL). He's actually an eager, active defender who will join the rush in transition, skate the puck up ice, drive the middle lane for his forwards and attack off the line when there's space to do so. And he also moves reasonably well for that size. His game can lack finesse and that might be exacerbated in the NHL, but he keeps playing to good results from one level to the next and at his size, that's going to put him in the conversation if he keeps it up. There are some, including within the Kraken organization, who would slot him higher here. And I wouldn't blame them. He has played top-four minutes to strong results in the AHL the last two years and is a big righty with some tools. The No. 98-ranked player on my 2020 draft list, Morrison was passed up in 2020, 2021 and 2022 before signing with Seattle after scoring 147 points in 84 games (which included winning OHL playoffs MVP) three years ago and 110 points in 67 games two years ago to cap off his junior career. Last season, in his first at the pro level, he was one of the Firebirds' more consistent offensive players while, even more importantly, proving the pace isn't too much for him — which was evident in the eye test and in his strong defensive results, as well as the four NHL games the Kraken gave him. This year, he has continued to play to strong results for the Firebirds without taking a big step forward. He's a gamer who always seems to play well — I still haven't seen him play a bad game — and has a toolsy pro-style game that keeps him around the puck. Concerns about his skating and whether or not his processing would take the necessary steps forward resulted in him passing through, but he has assuaged both of those with his play and I think they were overstated previously. I won't bet against him becoming a contributing NHLer at some point and he has already established himself as a good AHLer. His spot in this ranking speaks more to the depth of Seattle's pool than me having any serious doubts about his projection as a tweener at minimum. Miettinen is a well-built, strong, 6-foot-3 center who works, wins battles, plays hard and can skate. He's got some soft skill and some strength to his game. He protects the puck well and can play along the wall or go to the front of the net and make plays around the crease. I like him going to get pucks. He's good in the faceoff circle. He's got a quick release, scored 31 goals last season and has been an important part of a top team in the WHL. He also played well early on at the World Juniors in Ottawa, though I thought he was less noticeable late in the tournament for a Finnish team that won silver. He plays off his linemates well but can also make some plays with good hands, confidence on the puck and a willingness to try things against his peers. I had him ranked No. 69 when the Kraken used their second pick of the 2024 draft on him at No. 40 and I still think he was more of a third-rounder than a second-rounder but he's got a chance to become a solid bottom-sixer who brings secondary offense. Those who watched the QMJHL closely last season should have developed a healthy amount of respect for Bernier's development. He played a big role on a Baie-Comeau team (including as a go-to on both special teams) that went all the way to the Q final, averaging more than 22 minutes per game and registering 40 points in 84 combined regular-season and playoff games. He's also a summer birthday whose game has a real maturity to it. He hasn't taken the step this year that I thought he might given that youth but he has remained a top player on a decent Q team. Advertisement He's in impressive shape and is a really strong natural athlete. He's a smart, sound defender. He manages pucks well and defends with his eyes but is also competitive and strong and anticipates play in all three zones. He's got some secondary talent that should result in more production next season (and has an uptick of late). And he has learned to be more active using his feet off the line to involve himself offensively and make plays. I think he's got a chance to be a No. 6-8 D with continued development and I expect he'll get signed at some point in the next year. As always, each prospect pool ranking is broken down into team-specific tiers in order to give you a better sense of the proximity from one player — or group of players — to the next. The Kraken's pool is divided into four tiers: 1, 2-4, 5-9, 10-15+. Considered but not ranked were Coachella forwards Lleyton Roed and Jacob Melanson, Swedish World Junior forward Zeb Forsfjall, Czech World Junior defenseman Jakub Fibigr, CHL forwards Andrei Loshko, Nathan Villeneuve, Ollie Josephson and Clarke Caswell (who is slick and is having a good year), 20-year-old Portland defenseman Tyson Jugnauth and goalies Kim Saarinen, Niklas Kokko and Semyon Vyazavoy. A number of those players could have ranked in the fourth tier. (Photo of Berkly Catton: Dale Preston / Getty Images)
