The Spokane Chiefs have been captainless for the last three weeks while Seattle Kraken prospect Berkly Catton has been away with Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship in Ottawa.

In the absence of players attending the tournament, the WHL spotlight has shifted to others further down the depth chart, providing them with more lucrative opportunities to showcase their skills and progression.

One such player making the most of his increased ice time is Mathis Preston, a 16-year-old forward many consider one of the best prospects eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft.

Is it too early to project how high someone will go in a draft two years from now? Maybe. But when a potential future top-five pick is playing in your region almost every night, it’s hard not to take notice.

So, who exactly is Mathis Preston, and why is he already generating so much buzz?

Mathis Preston: A rising star

Selected third overall in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, the 5-foot-11, 168-pound Preston is off to an impressive start to his rookie season with the Chiefs. Through 33 games, he’s recorded 12 goals and 16 assists, placing him fourth among all WHL rookies with 28 points.

Over the weekend, Preston had three assists in two games against the Kamloops Blazers. He attributes his strong start to the growth he’s experienced on a game-by-game basis.

Mathis "Eyes on the Back of His Head" Preston 👀@SpokaneChiefs pic.twitter.com/aw5BehvUKx

— The WHL (@TheWHL) December 29, 2024

“Coming in as a 15-year-old last season, playing in nine regular-season and playoff games with the Chiefs was also a big help for me in getting my toes in the water a bit with the league,” Preston said. “Then coming into this year, and having [new head coach Brad Lauer] join the team, it let me have more freedom in making plays.”

But it’s not just his point production that’s drawing attention—his complete game is turning heads.

A talent with promise

Preston hails from Penticton, B.C., just a short distance from Kelowna and across the border from Omak, Wash. Growing up, he idolized offensively dynamic players like Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, and Nathan MacKinnon.

But according to TSN draft analyst Craig Button, there’s another Avalanche legend who he thinks Preston’s game mirrors.

“What an impressive, talented, skilled offensive player,” Button said of Preston. “Lightning-fast hands, lightning-quick mind, offensive instincts off the charts. He reminds me of Joe Sakic.”

Button ranks Preston as the second-best prospect for the 2026 Draft as of now, ranking behind Medicine Hat’s Gavin McKenna, who practically everyone has had as the consensus No. 1 since being granted exceptional status in 2021.

While it may be premature to anoint Preston the next Joe Sakic, there’s no question the tools are there for him to develop into an elite, game-changing player at the professional level.

Always on the move

One of Preston’s standout traits is his high hockey IQ. He’s quick to read the ice, always looking for the next play and finding the best position to capitalize.

Whether skating north-south or in tight areas, Preston is always on the move, making plays with speed and precision.

He has excellent edge work, as shown in a play he made on Saturday where he set up his linemate Coco Armstrong for a goal against Kamloops. Preston’s ability to anticipate and adjust to opponents’ defense is exceptional.

#WHL Mathis Preston. Remember the name, folks 🤯 pic.twitter.com/zUFTIzGtAT

— Cameron Riggers (@CameronRiggers) January 5, 2025

“I think it’s about reading off the other team,” Preston said. “Picking apart their weaknesses and splitting the defensemen to make plays. I read off my teammates too.”

Preston believes that self-assurance is key to his success on the ice, knowing he can be impactful at this level.

“I think confidence is the biggest thing in hockey,” he said. “You can’t play your game without confidence. That’s a big part of my game—just playing with confidence. You always have to think you’re the best player out there. That mindset helps a lot. Playing with good players helps your game and helps everyone around you.”

Room to grow

Like many young players, Preston has room to grow, particularly in terms of consistency. Over his last nine games, he’s fired 34 shots but has only found the back of the net once.

Both Preston and head coach Brad Lauer recognize the need for improvement in this area, particularly as he matures in the WHL and beyond.

“Being 16, it’s not an easy league to be in,” Lauer said. “But he’s a special player. He’s been able to do some creative things, and I think he’s finding his way. He’s starting to understand the team game and the systems we want to play as a group.”

Preston’s play has helped propel the Chiefs to second place in the U.S. Division, just nine points behind the Everett Silvertips for the top spot.

“I think we have to be consistent,” Preston said. “[We need to] bring our best to every single game. It’s unrealistic to say we’re gonna go 68-0, but we need to focus on building good habits and not taking games off.”

Chiefs acquire Andrew Cristall from Kelowna

As if the Chiefs weren’t already dynamic enough with Preston and Catton, they felt they needed a little something extra to finally push them over the hump in the playoffs. So, they did something about it.

With Thursday’s trade deadline looming, the Chiefs announced on Wednesday afternoon the acquisition of Washington Capitals prospect Andrew Cristall from the Kelowna Rockets in exchange for six WHL draft selections, including first-round picks in 2025 and 2027, as well as 2006-born forward Hayden Paupanekis.

Cristall is one of the league’s flashiest players and was one of the last remaining trade pieces to be dealt at this year’s deadline. Selected in the second round of the 2023 draft by the Caps, he’s currently tied for fifth in goals this season with 26 and is only two points behind the league’s top point-getter with 60.

He’ll now join a lineup that already boasts the likes of Catton, in addition to the second-leading goal scorer in the league in forward Shea Van Olm.

Imagining Catton and Cristall on a line is exciting. For Catton specifically, it will be good to see how he does playing with a complementary piece on his side night after night.

“We are very excited to add Andrew to our organization,” Chiefs general manager Matt Bardsley said. “He is a dynamic forward who is a threat to score or create offense every time he is on the ice. His experience in the league, along with 20 games of playoff experience, will be a welcomed addition to our team.”

The Chiefs are slowly closing the gap on the Everett Silvertips and will face them this Friday at Angel of the Winds Arena—a prime opportunity for Spokane, with Catton and Cristall both likely drawing in, to gauge where they stand in the division race.

“When you play top teams like that, it’s a good benchmark for us,” Lauer said. “As a coach, you like to see where you’re at playing against top teams. It’ll give us a good idea of where our group is.”

Header photo by Larry Brunt, courtesy of the Spokane Chiefs.