Takeaways: Kraken Fall Short Against Flames in Preseason Game No. 5
SEATTLE, Wash. - The Seattle Kraken fell 2-1 in a shootout to the Calgary Flames at Climate Pledge Arena on Monday.
In the penultimate exhibition before the regular season kicks off against Anaheim next week, here are the biggest takeaways.
Catton solidifying his case
One of the biggest questions surrounding Kraken training camp is the status of Berkly Catton. The 19-year-old forward is the top prospect in the pipeline, and after a monster season with Spokane in the WHL last year, Catton is looking to make the jump to the NHL.
He helped his case tremendously on Monday.
Aside from scoring the Kraken’s lone goal, Catton led the team with five shots on goal and – perhaps more importantly – blocked three shots, including two on the same shift in the third period. He did all of that while playing on the wing, which is his best avenue to making the opening night lineup despite being a natural center.
His play-making ability is well-established, but with Kraken coach Lane Lambert asserting at the start of training camp that Catton needed to prove he could handle his business at the defensive end, Monday’s game more or less displayed exactly what Lambert was looking for.
“He was, offensively, making some things happen,” Lambert said. “And then, you’re right, he did block some shots at a key moment there in the third period. So I thought he looked a little more comfortable tonight.”
Catton played alongside Matty Beniers, who nearly connected with him on a couple odd-man rushes in the first period before Catton buried a rebound off Beniers’ shot 2:03 into the second period.
The 22-year-old center said he felt the two were “buzzing” together, and he was also impressed by the effort in the defensive end as well.
“I loved it. I loved every second of it,” Beniers said. “It’s awesome. It’s awesome when anyone does it, but especially a young guy coming in, preseason game and you’re laying down your body for the team. There’s not much more you can say about it, it was awesome. Every guy in here loved it.”
One of the biggest reasons behind the intrigue in Catton’s status not only comes from him being a high-profile prospect, but also the options given his age. If he were a year older, Seattle would have the option to send him to the AHL, but given the current rules – which are set to change when the new CBA kicks in next season – Catton can either play for the Kraken or go back to juniors.
The 2024 eighth overall pick has nothing left to prove in junior hockey, but through five NHL preseason games and two weeks of training camp practices, has he proven enough to make the opening night roster?
Catton had a diplomatic answer, but slipped in that he doesn’t necessarily feel like he has to prove more, and is just focusing on his own development.
“I’m trying to build each and every game and learn,” Catton said. “I think I’ve done a good job of that, and maybe not stuff to prove, but even to myself, I think, (I just) want to keep improving and get the best of my capabilities.”
With Lambert observing his comfort at this level, albeit in a preseason game, and Catton displaying defensive responsibility without sacrificing his offensive upside, the young forward is making it very tough for management to return him to Spokane.
Since he can play up to nine NHL games without burning a year of his entry-level contract, and with a handful of Kraken veterans dealing with injuries, the idea of Catton playing in the opening night lineup seems more and more likely.
Speaking of injuries…
Another Kraken goes down
Seattle is having tough injury luck so far in training camp, and they lost a top pairing defenseman midway through Monday’s game.
Vince Dunn got into it with Calgary’s Martin Pospisil at 5:58 of the second period. The two have history, as Pospisil got suspended for three games in March 2024 for boarding Dunn and injuring him in the process.
On Monday, Pospisil hit Dunn up high and was assessed with high-sticking and cross-checking penalties, while Dunn received a minor for roughing. Dunn jawed at him all the way to the penalty box, then went straight to the locker room after the penalty expired. He did not play for the rest of the game.
“I haven’t heard (his status), but he’s being evaluated,” Lambert said.
On the surface, it seemed like more of a precautionary move. The Kraken already lost forward Kaapo Kakko for six weeks due to a broken hand, which he sustained in a preseason game last week, and Chandler Stephenson (undisclosed), Jared McCann (lower body) and Brandon Montour (ankle) are all on the mend.
The latter three are day-to-day, and both McCann and Montour were spotted on the ice in some capacity on Sunday, but the last thing Seattle would want to do is risk further injury to another one of their top players.
With one preseason game left and only a few spots towards the bottom of the depth chart left to fill, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say one of Lambert’s primary goals at this point is to get to opening night with as much of it intact as possible.
Searching for stamina
For the second game in a row, Seattle got off to a strong start before letting the game flip down the stretch.
Against the Vancouver Canucks on Friday, the Kraken took a 2-0 lead at 7:00 of the second period before eventually losing 4-2. On Monday, Seattle outshot Calgary 17-5 in the first period before Catton made it 1-0 early in the second before the Flames started to win back more control of the puck, ultimately tying it then winning in a shootout.
It’s not the full NHL lineup, and no exhibition can replicate the intensity of a regular season game, but it’s a trend that Lambert does not want to bleed into next week.
“We’ve had a couple good periods coming out of the gate,” Lambert said. “First periods tonight and in Vancouver, and then the second periods, we try and do too much with the puck in certain areas and it ends up costing us and coming back in our zone.
“So just from a mental standpoint, we got to clean things up.”
Indeed, the line with Catton, Beniers and Jani Nyman started out really strong creating chances but ultimately started to get pinned in the defensive zone more consistently as the game went on.
They weren’t the only ones with an issue. In the third period, Lambert swapped Nyman with Ryan Winterton, who played alongside Oscar Fisker Molgaard and Mitchell Stephens for most of the game.
Winterton had three shots on goal in the first period alone, but Lambert wanted to see more around the net from the group and felt Nyman’s offensive upside would give it a boost.
“I didn’t think we had enough net presence on that line,” Lambert said. “I thought, you know, for a portion of the first period and a little bit of the second, there just wasn’t one of those forwards getting to the net, so that’s what happened.”
Perhaps not the greatest sign for Stephens and Molgaard, who were likely facing an uphill battle to begin with. Molgaard has shown flashes, but his development is probably better suited playing a larger role in Coachella Valley than forcing him into Seattle’s bottom six.
Lambert complimented John Hayden’s net presence in the first period, and considering he played with regulars Tye Kartye and Freddy Gaudreau, may be on the inside track for the right wing spot on the fourth line.
But no matter who earns the final spots going into the season, the energy has to be maintained from start to finish if the Kraken don’t want to sputter out of the gate.
