Vancouver Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson confirmed Thursday that the team is considering selecting Caleb Malhotra, the son of head coach Manny Malhotra, with the third overall pick in the 2026 NHL draft. Manny Malhotra will attend the draft in Buffalo as a father, not as a coach, leaving the Canucks' war room to Johnson and his staff.
"He will be a dad supporting his son and I'll be trying to manage a hockey team to make the best pick at No. 3 that we feel will be a big part of our future," Johnson said Thursday at Rogers Arena.
Father-Son Dynamic Addressed Early
Johnson revealed that he discussed the possibility of drafting Caleb with Manny during initial conversations about the head coaching job, which Manny accepted on June 1 after replacing Adam Foote. Johnson said he told Manny that if the situation "was going to be an issue it (the job) was something he and I shouldn't move forward with."
Since then, the two have not revisited the topic. According to Johnson, Manny does not even know Johnson's preferences for the No. 3 pick. "We have never discussed it," Johnson said. "He knows the process that I'm going through. We talk daily but we have never discussed a list."
Speculation about the Canucks targeting Caleb began even before Johnson was promoted from assistant GM of Abbotsford to GM of the parent Canucks on May 14, succeeding Patrik Allvin.
Caleb Malhotra's Rising Stock
Caleb, a 6-foot-2, 182-pound centre from the OHL's Brantford Bulldogs, is projected as an early first-round pick. He recorded 29 goals and 84 points in 67 regular-season games, then added 13 goals and 26 points in 15 playoff contests. Scouts praise his mature two-way game and attention to detail.
Fathers coaching sons at the NHL level is rare and presents unique chemistry challenges. Johnson emphasized that the Canucks are not in a full sell-off mode despite being in a rebuild. "Yes, we are in a rebuild, but it's not sell-off — get as young as you can, get your teeth kicked in and think that things are just going to happen," he said. "You want to insulate players not just with good players, but great people."
Johnson also noted that any potential father-son dynamic would likely not affect the Canucks for at least a year, as 18-year-olds rarely make the NHL roster. Last season, centre Braeden Cootes became the first 18-year-old to make the opening-night roster since Petr Nedved in 1990-91, but played only three games before being reassigned.
