The hype is building for the 2026 NHL Draft, and the Vancouver Canucks are at the center of it with the third overall selection. As the draft approaches on June 26-27 in Buffalo, the Canucks face intriguing choices that could shape their rebuild.
Draft Strategy: Best Available or Positional Need?
The Canucks could take the customary route of selecting the best available player or fill a pressing positional need. Alternatively, they might trade down in a rich draft where they already own two first-round picks and two second-round selections among ten total picks. The team cannot afford to miss on any decision as they commit to a roster rebuild requiring prudent drafting, patience, and trades to acquire more assets.
An NHL source suggested to Postmedia on Thursday: "Take Ivar Stenberg or trade down no further than seventh and get an extra first-round pick this year." The Swedish winger drives play and might be ready to step into the lineup immediately.
Management's Confidence
General Manager Ryan Johnson expressed confidence in the team's preparation. "Our discussions with our amateur group have been fantastic," said Johnson. "Just my gut feeling tells me we should be prepared for anything with movement, and I don't think (the draft) will go as scripted. That's not my knowledge. It's one year where it may fall out of typical order. That's just a hunch."
Determining whether best player available trumps positional need can go both ways. Interviews at the NHL Scouting Combine from May 31 to June 6 in Buffalo could cement a player preference or turn a team off. "It's targeting best available in the slot, and we discuss needs and intriguing areas with player type," added Johnson. "Those are things we'll be talking about as we head toward the end of June. Very good discussions. And that's what I want out of the meetings. The best ones are where there's contention and some debate."
Top Prospects in Play
Unless there is a dynamic shift atop the draft chart, the Toronto Maple Leafs will select winger Gavin McKenna first overall. The playmaking NCAA winger is widely regarded by NHL scouts as having the highest offensive ceiling. The San Jose Sharks own the second selection and need an offensive defenceman to augment elite young talent up front, with OHL dynamo Chase Reid as a potential power-play quarterback.
This brings us to the Canucks' conundrum of considering Caleb Malhotra and Stenberg. Malhotra is an enticing OHL centre and son of Manny Malhotra, who is expected to soon be named the Canucks' new head coach. The Brantford Bulldogs rookie followed up 84 regular-season points (29-55) in 67 games with 26 playoff points (13-13) in 15 outings. The 6-foot-2, 182-pound Toronto native would join Braeden Cootes to help form the future Canucks foundation down the middle. Malhotra plays the power play and penalty kill and is deployed late in games to either protect a lead or make something happen.
Johnson dismissed any concerns about the father-son relationship. "As far as Manny's son, or the draft, I'm not in a position to change or make decisions based on one or the other," he said. "There will be no sacrifice because of a father-son relationship." Malhotra is considered an elite, two-way and responsible centre with good hockey genes. The NHL source added: "Malhotra will probably be in my top six, and he reminds me of mashing Nico Hischier and Jonathan Toews together."
Stenberg's Appeal
Stenberg moves the meter because he has pace, push, production, and didn't look out of place playing against older, stronger, and more skilled men with Frolunda HC of the Swedish Hockey League. His 33 points (11-22) this season were fifth most by an 18-year-old, and most since Daniel Sedin (42 points) and Henrik Sedin (34) in the 1998-99 SHL campaign. The Sedins have also been involved in scouting meetings as co-presidents of hockey operations, and Stenberg has caught their eye. He had 10 points (4-6) in seven games at the 2026 World Junior Championship, and his brother, Otto, was selected 25th overall by the St. Louis Blues in 2023.
What separates the 6-foot, 183-pound Stenberg is an ability to use speed and smarts for playmaking to set up linemates or finish chances, without cheating the game due to his reliable defense. With the Canucks lacking a prospect winger to take the next step, Stenberg might step right into the NHL lineup.
Prospect Depth Concerns
Winger Jonathan Lekkerimaki, 21, the 15th overall selection in 2022, has been slow to acclimate to the NHL game and had shoulder surgery in February to repair a torn labrum and rotator-cuff problem, which could affect his shot release and battle level next season. Versatile forward Riley Patterson, 20, piled up 84 OHL points this season (40-44) in 60 games, and the fourth-round 2024 pick also appeared in four AHL games in Abbotsford. NCAA rookie winger Anthony Romani, 20, had 28 points (14-14) in 37 games. Big winger Danila Klimovich, 23, who has had a 25-goal AHL season, has yet to play an NHL game after being taken in the second round of the 2021 draft. The Canucks need to make a decision on his future.
