Caleb Malhotra

Novotny shoots, scores! Adam Novotny was the Canucks' second first-round pick last June, going 24th overall.

He will be at main training camp next week, unlike Caleb Malhotra, the number three overall pick, who is going to Boston University and isn't allowed to be at camp.

Novotny, in all likelihood, will return to Peterborough of the OHL, where he wants to build on a 34-goal, 65-point rookie season.

In Peterborough, I want to be the leader for sure.

This is obviously on the previous regime.

Now, in defense of this roster, there's no Caleb Malhotra.

He's going off to Boston University, so there's your third overall pick.

This would look a whole lot better if Caleb Malhotra was here.

Okay, so let's get that out of the way.

Of course.

Second-round pick, high.

You know, you stick him in the American League after you drafted him, bad move, and now he's not with the team anymore.

But you're right, you can't count that out if Aatu Rattu's, like, looking kinda slow come training camp, 'cause Max Sasson has some wheels and, and did succeed under Manny down in Abbotsford.

But, you know, I think the reason why Aatu Rattu's got some heat on him too is, you know, heading into next season, I mean, we did our prediction episode, right? Looking into the future, the 2027-28 Canucks, what would a day look like? There's a chance Brayden Koots and Ma- and, uh, Manny, and Caleb Malhotra are both on that team, right? And then if you do have one of Rossi or Pettersson around, um, or maybe Chytil sticks around, who knows? But, like, then all of a sudden if, if Caleb Malhotra and Brayden Koots are taking up real estate on the team, then you sort of wonder, like, where does Aatu Rattu potentially fit in? Especially if he doesn't show something-

Mm-hmm

...

He's helped push the draft rankings and the prospect analysts', uh, niche forward, and it's a whole cottage industry online now.

And frankly, we're all the richer for it, 'cause we learn way more about these young hockey play- like, we knew everything virtually about Caleb Malhotra when he was drafted.

But even beyond that, you ask Craig about something that happened in the NHL, "No, no, you can't do that.

Yeah, no.

And many were saying, "No, wait till the next leader reveals themselves from the young core," uh, whether that's Ziv Buim, whether, we heard a lot of Brayden Coots at the end of last year, who of course, uh, has that sort of DNA in the Western Hockey League.

Hey, maybe Caleb Malhotra one day to team with his father, who of course is now the Vancouver Canucks head coach.

Where-

And Caleb, and Caleb's tracking like Ziv Buim.

You know, good character kid, e- easy talker.

So it, you know, that, that's the thing.

I would be quite disappointed if we're sitting here next year with Canucks about to take ice in a official capacity and nobody is there to speak on behalf of the player group.

If Zibanejad has a 42-point year and does not feel burdened by the contract extension that he just signed, I think he- that's a really good step forward.