The Vancouver Canucks made an expected choice when they selected Caleb Malhotra with the third overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft on Friday night. Malhotra, who had long been a target of the Canucks during the pre-draft process, will now be coached by his father Manny, who was hired as Vancouver’s new head coach on June 1.
The “father coaching his son” dynamic is just one interesting storyline that will play out when Malhotra joins the Canucks – potentially as soon as he wraps up his freshman season at Boston University this winter. But Caleb made sure to note that he’s a different player than his dad during ESPN’s coverage of the draft.
“I think I’m just a bit more offensive than he was,” Caleb said when asked by ESPN’s Emily Kaplan. “I think my playmaking is kind of what sets me apart. Scoring goals as well. I think I’m a finisher. I think I can do everything around the net, so I think it’s just a bit more offensive than he was.”
Caleb Malhotra’s offensive game could make him better than his father
Caleb Malhotra’s stats back up his claims. He joined the Brantford Bulldogs of the OHL last season and scored 29 goals while recording 84 points in 67 games. Malhotra also scored 13 goals and added 13 assists in 15 playoff games, showing that he can add some firepower to the Canucks lineup.
Fellow ESPN analyst Megan Chayka also mentioned that Malhotra registered six goals above expected last season, something that he credits to his work close to the net.
“I think…reading bounces and just sniffing around the net [is] a big part of my game,” Malhotra said. “I learned a lot from my dad about how to position yourself with defenders, getting your back on defenders and making sure you’re getting around the net.”
The Athletic’s Corey Pronman also agreed, grading Caleb Malhotra’s hockey sense and compete level as above average, which could help him rack up the points in the NHL and was a reason why he ranked seventh in his rankings for this year’s draft.
If Malhotra can bring some of those traits to Vancouver, he should have just as long of a career as his dad. Manny Malhotra played for 16 seasons in the NHL but had just 116 goals and 295 points while playing for seven different teams including three seasons with the Canucks from 2010 to 2013. Manny was also strong in the face off circle, registering a 59.7 percent win rate since the 2007-08 season and a reliable two-way player.
Manny will continue to give Caleb advice whenever he makes the jump to the NHL. But if his offensive ability translates, he should be able to have a much bigger impact and perhaps become the Canucks’ top-line center of the future.
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