Mathieu Cataford

June 2023 – Cataford was selected 77th overall by the Golden Knights. Pat Quinn

December 2022 – Drafted 6th overall in the 2021 QMJHL draft, Cataford has steadily grown into a prominent role with the Halifax Mooseheads. He notched 17 goals and 29 assists in 62 games in his first year with the Mooseheads, earning a selection to the QMJHL’s All-Rookie Team and also represented Canada at last summer’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup, playing a depth role on the way to a gold medal victory. Regularly suiting up on Halifax’s top line, he has taken his production and overall impact to another level in his draft year and has nearly matched last season’s point total less than halfway through the campaign.

Cataford might not have the flash and dash that his linemate Jordan Dumais has, but he uses his well-rounded skillset to be an impactful member of one of the QMJHL’s most dangerous units. His combination of intelligence and work ethic put him in the right place at the right time with consistency, and he processes the game at a high level, allowing him to execute under pressure and with pace. Cataford has a keen sense of timing to find soft spots in coverage, either as a primary shooting option or as a safety valve for his teammates to alleviate pressure and sustain the possession. His quick hands show up around the net where he has good one-touch finishing ability, and he has a knack for boxing out opposing defenders in and around the blue paint in order to finish rebound chances. He does some of his best work off the cycle and along the boards, where he uses his body to effectively separate and protect pucks from opposing defenders, but he also has the requisite vision and skill to quickly pull pucks off the wall and take them to middle ice or hit an open teammate with a crisp pass. Cataford has also proven to be a reliable two-way player who consistently supports the play in all three zones, rarely making a low-percentage play or cheating for offense. He may never be a primary offensive driver at the NHL level but he does all the little things well and has enough skill to be a strong complementary piece on a line with more talented players. Cataford may not be as dynamic as some other highly-ranked forwards in the 2023 draft class, but his ability to string plays together with intelligent positioning and quick reads is highly translatable, giving him a relatively safe floor as an NHL prospect. Nick Richard