Prospect Info: The 2026 NHL Draft First Round Thread - Part 4

[CanaFan]

The best one I’ve been able to come up with is Matt Duchene. Similar scoring profile pre-draft, solid two-way player but more offensive than defensive in profile, more a playmaker than a goal scorer. It’s not perfect but checks more boxes than the others I’ve seen.

Huh, ok that’s definitely a different take given how much of Duchene’s game is based on his elite speed and skating, which is arguably Malhotra’s worst tool.

Production level is fair but I think i’d rather just say Mark Scheifele but shave 5-10 points off his production if you prefer.

But it’s a qualitative exercise, so I can’t say you’re wrong or that I’m right, just that we each see it differently. Appreciate the different perspective.

 

[CanaFan]

Realistically his ceiling is somewhere around Linden/Jordan Staal.

How can his ceiling range between 50 pts (Staal) and 80 pts (Linden)? That’s less of a range and more of a football field.

 

[Hodgy]

The best one I’ve been able to come up with is Matt Duchene. Similar scoring profile pre-draft, solid two-way player but more offensive than defensive in profile, more a playmaker than a goal scorer. It’s not perfect but checks more boxes than the others I’ve seen.

Ya, the only big difference I see is that Matt Duchene was a plus skater whereas that's a weakness of Malholtra's, so stylistically, the comparison isn't great.

 

[Vector]

 

[Rowlet]

What the hell is wrong with this organization. If they had such a raging hard-on about drafting Caleb Malhotra you don’t name his dad the head coach.

Common sense. Fire Todd Harvey.

BPA/BCA

 

[BWJM]

BPA/BCA

Caleb BPA at 3rd overall? Not a chance.

BCA? Sure for a team on a budget.

 

[CanaFan]

Caleb BPA at 3rd overall? Not a chance.

BCA? Sure for a team on a budget.

Lots of NHL scouts would disagree.

 

[TryamKing]

If they draft Caleb, my confidence in this group will go to zero You are taking on risk for literally no upside. Seriously, Manny isn't the only coach and Caleb isn't the only prospect pick one. That being said you still wanna be vague so you don’t telegraph yourselves to the rest of the league.


Assuming McStenberg is gone, I'd rather have Carels over Reid but I get the logic. PP1 with Reid and PP2 with Buium certainly wouldn’t be bad.

 

[BWJM]

Lots of NHL scouts would disagree.

View attachment 1249468

Caleb at 2nd overall is beyond ridiculous. Canucks fans calling him BPA at 3rd is just a way for them to justify a father/son combo at the NHL level. Everyone knows it’s weird and shouldn’t happen.

 

[Mike Pecarino]

How can his ceiling range between 50 pts (Staal) and 80 pts (Linden)? That’s less of a range and more of a football field.

Am I the only that thinks Jordan Staal has had a career to be proud of? He’s been a good pro has he not? Is it always about “points”? Caleb is projected as a two way second line centre, no?

 

[Vector]

 

[CanaFan]

Caleb at 2nd overall is beyond ridiculous. Canucks fans calling him BPA at 3rd is just a way for them to justify a father/son combo at the NHL level. Everyone knows it’s weird and shouldn’t happen.

It’s not Canucks fans calling him BPA. It’s NHL scouts. You can disagree, but that doesn’t make your view fact or correct.

 

[CanaFan]

Am I the only that thinks Jordan Staal has had a career to be proud of? He’s been a good pro has he not? Is it always about “points”? Caleb is projected as a two way second line centre, no?

I haven’t seen anyone project Caleb as a 50 pt defensive centre, no.

 

[Vector]

 

[BWJM]

It’s not Canucks fans calling him BPA. It’s NHL scouts. You can disagree, but that doesn’t make your view fact or correct.

Sure we can disagree about where Caleb is ranked.

That doesn’t change the fact that a father/son combo at the NHL is weird as hell and only the Vancouver Canucks would be dumb enough to do it.

 

[CanaFan]

That doesn’t change the fact that a father/son combo at the NHL is weird as hell and only the Vancouver Canucks would be dumb enough to do it.

You and I have very different views on what constitutes a “fact”.

 

[BWJM]

You and I have very different views on what constitutes a “fact”.

It’s literally common sense lmfao

 

[Bgav]

I wonder if they had a charcuterie board set up

 

[Vector]

 

[CanaFan]

It’s literally common sense lmfao

So common that the guys who have played in the NHL, coached in the NHL, and actually know the people involved don’t think it’s an issue?

Makes sense.

 

[sting101]

This is my final List to 40 with rankings of 1-5 for Compete-IQ-Skating-Hands-Playmaking-Shot-Size/Strength 1 not pro quality 2 poor 3 average 4 above average and 5 elite..... Comps for top8. As seen with scores very little separates any of them outside of the obvious high end abilities of McKenna and makes it just draft who fits your team going forward

1 - Gavin McKenna - Compete scares the hell out of me but no denying he's smashed every level to date and has the highest upside which you draft for. IQ Hands Playmaking are all elite tools.
2-5-3-5-5-4-3........Zegras/Panarin/Kucherov

2 - Chase Reid - All situations top line RD. If he hits his value will be immense. Defending is a bit soft but skating skill and smarts is at the top of the class.
3-4-4-4-4-4-4.......Dobson/Carlson/Pietrangelo

3 - Caleb Malhotra - All situations 1B 2A C with future captain written on him. IQ is elite which makes him more than a Beniers for me. Playmaking almost is elite but doesn't come off a ton of deception which keeps it at above average.
4-5-3-3-4-4-4........Beniers/O'Reilly/Bergeron

4 - Ivar Stenberg - Almost certain top line LW. Has an very reliable floor. Plug and play mature player. Super smart and strong on puck. Speed and size are limiting factors but not that much
4-4-3-4-4-4-3.........Granlund/Raymond/Landeskog

5 - Carson Carels - All situations top line D. Maybe not a PP1 which is where his value dips. Physical beast great skater very rounded and mature
4-4-4-3-4-4-4........Hamhuis/Toews/Theodore

6 - Daxon Rudolph - PP1 cerebral RD with all situations potential. Skating is average and engagement has been an issue which slides into his defending
3-5-3-4-4-4-4.........Drysdale/Faulk/Doughty

7 - Wyatt Cullen - LW/C with top line C potential. Super skilled but needs a lot of muscle and to play off others faster. Lot of recent growth could work in his favor but also leaves a lot of variance in what he looks like 3-4 yrs from now vs others who have developed earlier. May also end a winger
3-4-4-5-3-4-3........Mercer/Schmaltz/Miller

8 - Viggo Bjorck - Skilled strong smart technician right shot C. Is the most complete player in the draft with Stenberg. Limiting factors with speed and size but plays fast is super strong on stick which is good for NHL ice.
4-5-3-4-4-4-3.......Rossi/Trocheck/Point

-GAP- (Either lower likely upside or bigger top6 top4 swings. Could be a couple top line players here)

9-Smits 10-Belchetz 11-Gustafsson 12-Verhoeff 13-Hemming 14-Lawrence 15-Command 16-Bleyl 17-Klepov 18-Hermansson

-GAP- (at this stage not seeing top6 top4s without a lot of things falling the right way. Some solid players who should be middle six and hard swings)

19-Suvanto 20-L.Ruck 21-Dagenais 22-Novotny 23-Morozov 24-Goljer 25-Lin 26-Valentini 27-M.Ruck 28-Preston 29-Hurlbert
30 -Pugachyov 31-Cali 32-AaramOlsen 33-Vandenberg 34-Harrington 35-Bilecki 36-Pantelas 37-Runtso 38-Hakansson 39-Di-Iorio 40-Murnieks

 

[Hodgy]

Caleb at 2nd overall is beyond ridiculous. Canucks fans calling him BPA at 3rd is just a way for them to justify a father/son combo at the NHL level. Everyone knows it’s weird and shouldn’t happen.

I mean, this is a crazy take given that Cam Robinson just published his draft rankings showing Malholtra at 2 which are based on ten different NHL scouts' rankings.

 

[Canucker]

Lots of NHL scouts would disagree.

View attachment 1249468

Yeah, I really like Caleb Malhotra, but for me, I'm not even sure he's the best center available...I'd have a really tough time between him and Viggo, size be damned....and I'd most definitely put Stenberg ahead of him, maybe even Carels.

 

[bobbyb2009]

Ya, the only big difference I see is that Matt Duchene was a plus skater whereas that's a weakness of Malholtra's, so stylistically, the comparison isn't great.

Sorry, are we saying that people think Malholtra skating is a weakness? Is it the way his edges/technique look, because I thought he was a good skater?

 

[CanaFan]

Yeah, I really like Caleb Malhotra, but for me, I'm not even sure he's the best center available...I'd have a really tough time between him and Viggo, size be damned....and I'd most definitely put Stenberg ahead of him, maybe even Carels.

All fine and fair. But people need to stop acting like there is a single, definitive “BPA” and that Malhotra is an egregious error to be considered at 3.