'He's A Franchise No. 1 Center': NHL Draft Prospect Caleb Malhotra Is His Own Guy

LAS VEGAS – It's been a busy few weeks for the Malhotra clan, and it's only going to get busier from here.

Manny Malhotra was just announced as the new coach of the Vancouver Canucks, while son Caleb is now going through that last grind before the 2026 NHL draft, where he is the top-ranked center available.

Sure, the draft combine can be a drain with all the physical tests and interviews, but now Malhotra is enjoying the perks of being a top prospect as he was invited to the Stanley Cup final in Vegas, where he and a handful of other big names took in practice and got to chat with NHLers.

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Brantford was loaded with talent, from O'Brien to defenseman Adam Jiricek (STL) and left winger Marek Vanacker (CHI). So for Malhotra to put his stamp on the team, he really had to play well.

Next year, he's heading to Boston University, where he'll join another top center in the 2026 draft, Tynan Lawrence. The pair had a chance to chop it up at the combine, and Lawrence told Malhotra about his experience this season with the Terriers. Committing to BU came down to the program's reputation.

"It's all the guys they've produced and the talent they've brought up – their coaching staff is unbelievable," Malhotra said. "Hearing from the guys who have gone there about how much trust they put in them, you only hear good things."

Of course, the big drama surrounding Malhotra will come on draft day. He definitely has the talent to be a top-10 pick, but with Vancouver in need of help down the middle, some have floated the idea of him going third overall to the Canucks. In that scenario, he could one day play for his dad in the NHL. Needless to say, the idea has come up between the two.

"It would be pretty cool," Malhotra said. "We'd be professional about it, we're very clinical in our house. He's Dad first and foremost and at the rink he'll be my coach. If I had the privilege of playing for Vancouver, I wouldn't have an issue with that."

Based on his skill set and potential, Malhotra is going to be one to watch in the coming years. Will that be in Vancouver? We'll just have to wait until the draft hits Buffalo at the end of the month to find out.

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This story was originally published June 10, 2026 at 10:48 AM.