In the first round, the Canucks came away with two very different players: Adam Novotny at 24th overall and Caleb Malhotra at 3rd overall. There\u2019s more to come starting on July 1<\/a> with free agency.<\/p>\n The Novotny pick, in hindsight, looked like the Canucks betting on traits more than results. At 24th overall, they took<\/a> a winger who has always lived in that awkward draft space between \u201cnot quite polished\u201d and \u201ctoo interesting to ignore.\u201d Novotny\u2019s game is built on straight-line power. When he\u2019s going north-south, he looks like a player who can overwhelm defenders with speed, strength, and a heavy shot that doesn\u2019t need much space to be dangerous.<\/p>\n There were stretches in his draft year where he looked like exactly the kind of player teams convince themselves is going to pop later. Strong puck battles, aggressive forechecking, and a willingness to go to the net all showed up regularly. When he\u2019s engaged physically, he can tilt shifts just by making life uncomfortable for defenders.<\/p>\n The question has always been consistency. The offence doesn\u2019t always flow cleanly, and the playmaking side of his game hasn\u2019t caught up to the raw tools. That\u2019s why he slid into the 20s instead of pushing into the top tier of forwards. But that\u2019s also why Vancouver likely liked him.<\/p>\n This was a bet on development more than certainty. If Novotny hits, you\u2019re probably looking at a power winger who can give you 20 goals and meaningful middle-six energy. If he doesn\u2019t fully develop the offence, there still looks like a player here who can carve out an NHL role through pace, effort, and physicality. It wasn\u2019t a safe pick. But it also wasn\u2019t a reckless one. It was a classic \u201cwe can work with this\u201d selection.<\/p>\n Caleb Malhotra: The Foundation Pick at Third Overall<\/p>\n If Novotny was the swing, Caleb Malhotra was the anchor. Taking him third overall<\/a> was less about highlight-reel upside and more about identity. Malhotra\u2019s game is built on habits. He\u2019s responsible defensively, mature in all three zones, and already plays like a centre who understands time and space at an NHL level.<\/p>\n There\u2019s obviously a bit of weight that comes with the name\u2014son of Manny Malhotra, with a family athletic connection that stretches into other sports\u2014but what stood out most in his draft year wasn\u2019t the storyline. It was how steady his game already looked.<\/p>\n Offensively, he isn\u2019t projected to be a dominant driver like Connor McDavid<\/a> or an Auston Matthews<\/a> as a scorer, even in elite top-line terms. The expectation is more along the lines of a high-end second-line or very strong third-line centre who can handle tough minutes and still make life easier for everyone around him.<\/p>\n Think of that type of player who doesn\u2019t always fill up the highlight reels, but ends up playing 18\u201320 minutes in playoff games because coaches trust him not to make mistakes when things tighten up. That\u2019s what Vancouver bought into.<\/p>\n It also fits the way teams build in today\u2019s NHL. You can chase offence on the wing, but centres usually define your structure. Malhotra gives them something they\u2019ve needed for a while: a potential long-term solution down the middle who doesn\u2019t need to be sheltered.<\/p>\n There\u2019s also something quietly interesting about the pressure that comes with the name. Manny Malhotra never really got a long runway as an offensive centre in the NHL. His son now gets a very different opportunity\u2014to potentially carve out a bigger offensive role in a system that clearly believes in him enough to take him at third overall.<\/p>\n What the Draft Actually Told Us About Vancouver<\/p>\n Looking back at both picks, the Canucks didn\u2019t really chase one identity. They tried to cover two. Novotny was the upside bet. The kind of pick you make when you\u2019re still looking for scoring punch and believe you can develop the rough edges over time. Malhotra was the structure bet. The kind of pick you make when you want to stabilize your middle of the ice for the long haul.<\/p>\n![\"Adam](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Adam-Novotny-Petes-1200x960.jpg\")
Adam Novotny, Peterborough Petes (Robert Lefebvre \/OHL Images)<\/p>\n![\"Caleb](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Caleb-Malhotra-Manny-Malhotra-Canucks-1200x900.jpg\")
Caleb Malhotra embraces his dad, Manny, after being drafted third overall by the Vancouver Canucks.
(Amy Irvin<\/a> \/ The Hockey Writers)<\/p>\n
![\"Caleb](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Caleb-Malhotra-Canucks-1200x900.jpg\")
Caleb Malhotra, Vancouver Canucks (