Canucks take Caleb Malhotra third overall at draft - BERITAJA

BUFFALO – The Vancouver Canucks person still ne'er picked first astatine an NHL draft.

The nine owned the champion likelihood heading into past month’s lottery pursuing a last-place decorativeness successful its 55th play — 14 points adrift of the league’s next-worst squad — only to get bumped down to the No. 3 slot erstwhile the ping-pong balls bounced successful favour of the Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks.

After watching 2 prima forwards travel disconnected the committee Friday, the Canucks made their move.

Vancouver took Caleb Malhotra pinch the 3rd action astatine the 2026 draught wrong KeyBank Center.

The boy of erstwhile NHL guardant and caller Vancouver Canucks caput coach Manny Malhotra had 84 points (29 goals, 55 assists) successful 67 games this play for the Ontario Hockey League’s Brantford Bulldogs.

The six-foot-two, 182-pound centre from Toronto added 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points successful 15 playoff contests.

The Buffalo Sabres selected Lacombe, Alta., defenceman Daxon Rudolph pinch the 4th wide pick.

The six-foot-two Rudolph tied for the Western Hockey League playoff scoring lead pinch 27 points successful 19 games past season, starring the Raiders to the final.

He has played for Canada’s under-18 squad astatine the world title and Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He is committed to the University of Denver adjacent season.

The Calgary Flames selected Cypress River, Man., defenceman Carson Carels sixth overall. He had 73 points (20 goals, 53 assists) successful 58 games this play pinch the WHL Prince George Cougars.

The six-foot-one, 175-pound blueliner, who is committed to the University of North Dakota adjacent play aft and only turned 18 connected Tuesday, added a extremity and 9 assists successful 10 playoff contests aft besides suiting up for Canada’s bronze-medal squad astatine the world inferior lucky championship.

The Seattle Kraken, pinch the seventh wide pick, took Chase Reid, a defenceman from Chesterfield, Mich., who had 48 points (18 goals, 30 assists) successful 45 games for the Ontario Hockey League’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds successful 2025-26.

The six-foot-two, 187-pound Reid, who was trim from the United States Hockey League successful the autumn of 2024 earlier yet catching connected pinch the Greyhounds, chipped successful 3 goals and 3 assists successful 10 playoff contests.

The right-shot blueliner suited up for the U.S. astatine the world inferior lucky championship.

The San Jose Sharks, pinch the ninth wide pick, took defenceman Keaton Verhoeff of Fort Saskatchewan, Alta.

The six-foot-four, 208-pound defenceman from the University of North Dakota registered 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) successful 36 games arsenic a freshman successful NCAA.

Verhoeff, who celebrated his 18th day past Friday, had 45 points (21 goals, 24 assists) successful 63 games pinch the WHL’s Victoria Royals successful 2024-25 earlier taking the U.S. assemblage route.

Verhoeff was a personnel of Canada’s world inferior squad that vanished 3rd backmost successful January.

This study by BERITAJA was first published June 26, 2026.