CALEB MALHOTRA NHL Draft Prospect

In this episode of The Draft Board Hockey Show, we had The Prospect Don join us, to talk about the potential top centre of the 2026 NHL draft class, Caleb Malhotra who plays for the Brantford Bulldogs in the OHL. He is a talented forward who had a great season, so let's get into breaking down his game and see where he stacks up in TSN Craig Button's newest released NHL draft rankings of the year!

Hosts: Mark (NHL Draft Pros) and Linc (New Wave Hockey)

Guest: Anthony Donati (The Prospect Don)

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to the draft board hockey show. My name is Mark, and as always, I'm joined by my co-host Link. And today we got the prospect Don Anthony is in the house. We're going to be talking a little bit of Caleb Malholtra boys. Well, just to preface this, Link and I just came back from watching him on Sunday in Brampton, live viewing for both of us. The first time me and Link have met up in person.

SPEAKER_02 0:29

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 0:29

It was a blast, had a great time, had his first Canadian Caesar drink, some poofing, did it all.

SPEAKER_02 0:35

Yeah. No, yeah, we did it all. Like it was in Brampton. It was poorly attended. Oh, we were sitting next to all the scratches. But you know what? Caleb Malhotra, he shined in a drubbing by the Brampton Steelheads, but they needed a win this year. Let's be real with you guys. Um, it doesn't change my opinion on what of what he can do. I'm I know we're gonna see a lot about him, but uh yeah. Don, what's going on?

SPEAKER_01 0:57

I'm good, fresh off. I think I'm still hung over from this Canadian Caesar that I had a couple months weeks ago, but uh things are good. I'm watching so much hockey, I feel like I don't even know what to do when I am not watching hockey anymore.

SPEAKER_00 1:12

You still got a few months to go, so no breaks just don't burn out. Don't burn out. All right. Uh, but yeah, you know what? So uh a few weeks ago, the prospect Don and I hooked up and we went to Western Michigan, but before that, he had attended a Brantford game, so he got to see Caleb Malholtra live as well. So before we begin, let's check out the stats here. 84 points in 67 games, 29 goals, 55 assists, and he is a six foot two, 183-pound centerman. The stats and the height and weight, very nice to start for centerman, especially this this draft is in need of some stellar centermen. So Kel Maholtra fits the bill right away.

SPEAKER_02 1:54

Absolutely. This is this is a very special player. Uh, I think this is without a doubt. There's not even a question in my mind that this is the best center in this draft class. I think he is head and shoulders above the rest. I think he's now pushing the four defensemen that are just outside the top two, maybe even pushing the top two. Um, he's played absolutely fantastic. I can't wait to see what he does and how much he turns it up for the OHL playoffs. And if they go further, I mean, look, they're going to go further. Uh Bradford's the best team in the OHL, potentially the Memorial Cup as well. So this guy is nowhere near done playing hockey yet. So I'm really excited to see what what else he's been able to do and can't wait to get into more of his game right in this video.

SPEAKER_01 2:36

Yeah, is Wyatt Cullen um above him at this point in your ranking?

SPEAKER_02 2:40

No, no, Caleb Malhocha is well above Wyatt Cullen, Don. But uh yeah, yeah, no, you know, I it at this point Caleb Malhochra's like top five pick for me at this point.

SPEAKER_01 2:51

Yeah. I think he solidified himself as a top five. When I was there and um you know, just watching him live, it was just a crazy experience because he was play driving on his own line. And what you don't know if you are not watching the Bulldogs is they have four incredible centers. One of them is Jet Luchenko, who's on uh both of your guys' favorite team, but another one is Jake O'Brien, who is just two points per game in the OHL. I think he's leading everybody in points, he's just fantastic. Actually, no, I think uh no that's uh Nikita Clip off. But at this point, like there's no one better that has that many incredible centers I've ever seen in a OHL team. So it is hard for him to get those minutes, but he's playing so much, and he's earned the respect. He is one of the most, I think, raw players when we looked at him in the offseason for summer scouting, and then everything you wanted to see and more, he's just excelled. I mean, he was a second round pick in a lot of the projections, and now he's going top five for a reason because he did take that step. And just imagine if he takes another step. This guy is Canadian royalty, like I've said before, he's Steve Nash's nephew, as well as Manny Maholtra's son. And Manny Maholtra just won the Calder Cup and for the AHL. Um, so like that's a big component if he does end up being the head coach, because it could go into the draft rankings if Vancouver falls to three, which they're solidified in a top three pick. But this guy could go as high as three, is what I'm saying. Like, there's a real conversation around like people right now, how good this guy could be. He's the only, I think, true one C potential in this class at this point. Obviously, a lot of things can change, but I think that he has earned that projection, as well as like his hand-eye coronation, his hand speed, his shot, the way that he's always open and finding space. He's just such a naturally skilled and high hockey IQ player, and he does it so well. So the sky's the limit for this guy. I could totally see him just being a star in the league.

SPEAKER_00 4:58

Yeah, you know what? We were uh fortunate enough to see him live and Link and I just gushing over him the whole game. Just the little details, like you said, that he uh brings to the ice is really impressive. The hand-eye coordination, uh, his shot is out of worldly. Like, I when he came to Windsor and he had this one goal literally broke in top of the circle and absolutely roofed it. And I was sitting with a buddy of mine, he's like, Wow, that kid's got a shot. I was like, Yeah, that's like NHL ready shot. So, yeah, you know what? He brings a lot of great qualities to the draft, and especially where in a draft where centermen are in big uh need. So, yeah, and look at the little passing right here. Like he he's got the he's got the soft touch and the stick handling, eh, Link? The stick handling, we were watching him and going, Whoa, did he just pull that off? Like the it just it was it was pretty nice, Link. What'd you what do you think of the uh some of the stuff that he was doing when we were there?

SPEAKER_02 5:56

He is really insane at a couple things. Uh ever there everywhere else, he's just very, very solid. And that's really all you can ask for in terms of a center. He's a great distributor, he's got a great set of hands on him. But one of the one of the things that I've really liked in conjunction with the great hands is he's really, really fast. And that really just combines to make him really good at zone entries, whether he's doing it through the middle of the ice, whether he's doing it on the perimeter. He's able to make plays and he's able to overpower people with his speed, with his hands. He's able to create legitimate, uh, legitimate space. And he's always able to find a way to get the puck down the ice. It's it's truly remarkable. I I I have I I've been blown away with kind of the ability that he's been showing this year. He's always had, I would say, the talent. Um, he was he was this speedy in the BCHL, um, and he was very creative at that level as well. But it was a matter of whether or not he was going to stick out in this uh big lineup that he was in. I I mean he was he was shoved down the lineup earlier on just because this is a super team. Jake O'Brien is the best player in the OHL and he's their top center. Um, I think that's I think it's not a complete outreach to say, but he's established himself on that team, more than just established himself. He's one of the star players. I think there was a story coming out where he was afraid that he was going to get traded at the OHL deadline, but they kept him because they know that he was a serious part of it about this team, and he was a piece that they they honestly couldn't trade away. And I mean, it shows he put up so many points this year. He is so crucial to the offense, he's crucial to the power play as well. And again, we've all been saying it, we've been kicking the the the hor the proverbial dead horse. This guy is a top, uh this guy's a future number one center potentially. Um, at worst, he is a second-line center for 10 years. That is something you can't really pass up on.

SPEAKER_01 7:45

Yeah, and I also want to say, like, he's not just fast in his boots, like this guy's fast everywhere, especially with his hands, the hand-eye coordination goes into that. But once this guy was able to like think fast, which is what he was already doing, but also the foot speed and bringing it all together, you're seeing that completeness in the player. And sometimes development happens, there's just an inflection point with development, it's not just a linear path. And for him, it just all clicked in the OHL like right when he needed to. And if you look at some of his line mates, like they're not a most high-end uh like first-round pick talent. Like, you're seeing Merrick Venacer and Adam Vannock actually play with Jacob on that first line. So coming into the year, you know it was a little scary. Like, are his forwards going to be able to create the offense? But he's actually been the creator, he's been the one that is pushing play and using that speed. And Dennis is fantastic too. They play really well with each other, but he's going to be able to play with better players. Yeah, and he I yeah, so like I just feel like he is one of those guys that's going to get better when you bring more players that have that higher IQ, um, especially in the NHL. So he's actually gonna get better, and it's only gonna be what like how could this guy have been a second round pick in the summer scouting? It's just like he is so dynamic. I think that I think he's definitely the best center in the league, and there's a gap now, or in the draft that there's a gap.

SPEAKER_00 9:18

Absolutely. Okay, so you know what? A lot of rankings are coming out right now, and mocks and whatnot. And we actually just did a really great six-man mock draft, like six GMs, I guess you could say. So you want to go check that out. We got the prospect Don was with us for sure. So, yeah, but uh ranking-wise, uh, one that came out recently, TSN Craig Button. He's always a big one. People love to see his. And let's see where he put Caleb Malholtra. Well, he's actually got Caleb Malholtra at number 11. Woo! Ho gentlemen, what's your take on TSN Craig Button? Wait a minute, let's let's just go over the first. Uh, let's go over Craig Button real quick here. We got Gavin McKenna, number one, Carson Carls two, Chase Reed three, Ivar Stenberg four, Keaton Verhoff five, Vigo Bjork six, Albert Schmitz seven, Daxton Rudolph eight, Oliver Savanto nine, Liam Ruck 10, and Caleb Malholtry all the way down to number 11. Gentlemen, is that fair point right now, or uh do we have some issues with that?

SPEAKER_02 10:28

I'm taking issue with uh a couple things in this, but before I do, I'll give Craig some credit. Um, there are three points uh in this either. I think there are three points that he brings up in these rankings that kind of am like, okay, I understand. I think this is a good reflection of like what you think and what others are thinking as well. First of all, Carson Carrolls being at two, it's bold. It's very bold. But I've heard but there have been some circles that have had Carson Carrolls as the number one defenseman at times. I don't find that as too outlandish uh based on how he's played, based on the recent offensive surge that he's had. This guy has really looked very special. I think that uh that's not a completely out there assertion. Um, and coinciding with the falling of a guy like Keaton Verhoff, who is for some reason not considered the slam dunk number two guy in this draft class anymore. I think it's fair to acknowledge that. But at the expense of Ivar Stenberg, that's a little rough. Another thick thing that I like here is Oliver Suvanto uh in the top 10, uh very solid player, someone that a lot of people have been overlooking and and have especially been overlooking his offensive game. Um, I really think Suvanto is gonna shock a lot of people in terms of what he becomes in the next seven years. Um, that being said, I don't like Oliver Suvanto over Caleb Mahotra. So um that yeah, the Ruck over Suvant.

SPEAKER_00 11:49

Well, yeah, Mahotra too.

SPEAKER_02 11:51

The the Ruck brothers, we can get into that too. Um I love both Ruck brothers, they're very fantastic, they're they're really smart talents, they're they're very good two-way players, they're they move fast, they play well well off each other. But I don't like them in the top 20, and I'll fully be aware of that. I don't think any of them have top line potential. I think in this article he tried to point out that they were Sadine-like, and I think that assertion is wrong. So we'll see. I but uh I I think the the the rucks will be maybe taken together in conjunction, but it would be later in the first round. A lot later after Kayla Malhotra, sorry.

SPEAKER_01 12:30

No, I like what you said about Karsten Carls, because I think that it's actually a like a good point that he could be the first defenseman off the board, and I would not be surprised in a mock draft. It's a little interesting if he would be because of the the fit, you know, not right-handed defenseman. Verhoff and Chase Reed kind of have the edge because of that, and also the size, but also like he is a defensive defenseman that's putting up absurd numbers in the WHO right now and looking fantastic, as well as he looked good at the World Juniors in limited minutes, but I will say, like, having Ivar Stenberg like not in the top three doesn't make sense to me, as well as the Caleb Maholcher doesn't make sense, the Vera Hoff doesn't make sense. I Vigo Bjork, I like that at six because that's a bold pick. I mean, that is a I'm that's a statement. Yeah he's he's one of the most talented players in the entire class. I think top three for sure. I've never seen like somebody have it all, but not the size. And you know, Cam Schmidt last year, I think he had like in his top ten, I think eight or so, and then he kept he went 94th overall just because of the size, but he was much smaller than Vigo Bjork. Vigo Bjork is 5'9, and you know, you look at a guy like Connor Bernard or Rossi or Zach Benson, and these guys are actually performing well under 5'11, and Vigo Bjork's only 5'9. I feel like it's a little overplayed on you know, any of these guys can really bust in terms of being prospects, they're so young, but you have to bet on talent, you have to bet on what the guy's doing. And Vigo Bjork in Sweden is a top five prospect, like that is how they're saying it. I I love that pick. But the Ruck brothers over Maholtra and Maholcher being 11th, that doesn't make sense to me. I think I think it's a statement on the Ruck brothers as well. But at the time, like a statement would have been having them at like 18 and 19, not 10 or 12. I think that it just kind of like hurts the legitimacy of a ranking if you have those guys there, even though they're performing well. Like, why would you not put JP Herlbert there if you're talking about the point production that is had? And it's a little interesting, but Craig Button is incredible, he is one of the pioneers of the scouting industry, and I feel like there's a reason why people love his stuff because he's not ever going to sugarcoat it, he's never gonna go with the grain, or he's gonna go like with the grain, and he's not gonna go with the other people and not consensus, and I love that. But at the same time, I just have questions about the ruck positioning there because why would you put Malholtra under one of them but not the other if you were making a statement? Like it doesn't make sense. So it was interesting to say the least. I want Mark's opinion, but I was kind of shocked when that came out.

SPEAKER_00 15:19

Yeah, I mean, you know, so the Ruck brothers, I get it. They they're one-two in scoring in the WHL, 108 points, 104 points. So, I mean, you know, that production it definitely goes a long way, especially because they're both draft eligible. However, I wonder how do they, you know, perform individually? They got that brother, the C Dean brother type, you know, sticking together, seeing the ice together. I get I get that whole situation, but what happens if they get selected separately? So, you know, and and there's other parts of their game that uh, you know, you like I think Kelly Maholcha is basically uh a far better overall player and that size, and and he and he put up some awesome numbers too. So, and especially on a loaded team where you had to, you know, you had to show your worth, I guess you could say. Um, but yeah, you know, it's so it's interesting to say the least. But uh yeah, Craig Button, he likes to he likes to fire some some interesting ones out there. Let's go keep on going down here. So he's got uh Ethan Belchez at 13, Elton Hermanson 14, Oscar Hemming 15, Alexander Kaman 16, Tynan Lawrence 17, Yuho Pipparinen 18, Jaegershilov 19, and Nikita Klepov at 20. So I mean, oh you know what? I know Link will like this one. Ben McBeath at 23, and there's your Wyatt Cullen at 24, and Malte Gustason at 25. Those are all Link's boys right there, back to back to back jacks.

SPEAKER_02 16:38

Well, unfortunately, Adam Novotney is at 21, which I don't understand the the explanation behind. I would flip him and and and the ruck brothers, honestly, because I really am a big fan of Novotney. But uh overall, I mean he has his preferences. Uh, he loves Alexander Command, uh, someone that I'm really coming around on and uh just really enjoying uh the presence of. But I I think for the most part, this this middle tier is is fine. I think it's a reflection of what's been going on. I guess I'm a little bit higher on guys like Wyatt Cullen and Oscar Hemming and Adam Novotny. But um, I part part of me does think that he does contact people for this and like try to get what a sense of what the general like sense is of some of these pro prospects. So this doesn't surprise me that this is kind of where some guys are landing on some boards. Um Tynan Lawrence falling makes a lot of sense to me. Um, he was looking good in his last few games, but in overall, in terms of projection and where he looks like in a role in both his season, uh his shortened season in the USHL and with the NCAA, he struggled at times to show people that he could become a top six guy. And I I think that is very telling. So I think this ranking reflects that. I I think that Tynan Lawrence will definitely be a guy that people are lower on, but that also gives the possibility that he can really shine and and uh and come back and really prove people wrong. So I I think we'll see what happens with that though.

SPEAKER_01 18:06

And I want to just take a moment and Ryan Robrick at 47, William Hawkinson at 52, Mathis Preston 57, and Brooks Rowski at 58. That was just a little interesting. I definitely know like Link had said it, he's talking to people, so it's kind of interesting to hear where other people have these prospects because I thought Brooks Ragowski would probably be kind of where Shane Vansagi was last year, and it is interesting.

SPEAKER_02 18:34

He's I mean, look, he he was ranked in the like the teens for yeah central scouting. Some it doesn't matter if everyone likes him, someone's gonna like him enough. Jack Nesbitt was a 12th overall pick, and Brooks Rogowski might not be far behind him. So sorry, Mark, I had to stick the dagger in one more time, but uh Nesbitt's been fine. Nesbitt's been fine, he's been all right.

SPEAKER_00 18:56

So um it's whatever. Yeah, you know what? So I I think that uh well here, let's finish off the lists here. So at 26, Ryan Lynn, 27, Cooper Williams, 28, JP Herlbert, 29, Isabio Villeneuve, 30, Casey Mutrin, 31, Maddox Dajnay, and 32, Pierce Bowie. Oh, the the buoy. We can I are big Bowie fans. Uh you know what?

SPEAKER_02 19:22

We are we are buoy fans. I I do love Pierce and Bowie. Um, he's gonna be playing a Penn State next year. He's gritty, he's got a little bit of sandpaper vibe to him, but he's only like what five foot ten. Um, I love guys like that. The only ones that I don't understand being in the the top 32 are Cooper Williams and Casey Mutrin. Um, Casey Mutrin uh is fine, he's pretty solid. He's gonna be good at BC next year, I believe. And he's a bigger guy as a centerman. I think it's a bold pick for a second rounder, but I don't think he's a he has the first round pedigree. I don't believe uh Cooper Williams does either. But otherwise, I'm honestly saying this is one of the better Craig button lists that have come out in the last it's not horrible. I'm actually gonna I'm not gonna I'm gonna give him credit. This is one of the better, this is one of the better Craig button lists because there were some egregious ones last year. Um, I I I I will say the the ruck ones threw me off. Uh there are a couple ones that threw me off, but uh in terms of what we're seeing here, I think I think it reflects pretty well on what's gonna happen um generally, so we'll see.

SPEAKER_01 20:22

Yeah, and I like Fanny to Klepov uh ranking. I think he's very talented.

SPEAKER_00 20:27

Yeah, the prospect on really likes Klepov too, and uh, I got to see him a lot this year. And yeah, you know, he he's he he's got some he's got some talent. Let's let's just put it that way. That kid's talented for sure. Um, I think that does it for this show, though, guys. We've covered a little bit of Caleb Malholtras, some Craig Button rankings, lots of fun as usual. Boys, what do you think? Thanks for having me out. Prospect, thanks for joining us. We'll we'll we'll be seeing him soon, as always. And uh cheers to everyone.