Insider just revealed who the Canucks are likely taking and it's huge

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Vincent Carbonneau
May 8, 2026  (8:49)

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Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Caleb Malhotra and Adam Foote are suddenly tied to one of the sharper draft reads around Vancouver.

Jeff Marek's take was blunt. He does not think Malhotra gets past the Canucks, and that kind of line sticks when it comes from someone plugged into draft-week thinking.

That turns Vancouver into more than a team to watch. It makes the Canucks a pressure point in the draft, because once a name gets linked that tightly, the rest of the board starts getting read through that lens.

It also says something about fit. When a player gets connected to Vancouver this directly, people around the league usually start asking whether the club sees him as a style match, not just the next name available.

That matters with Foote now behind the bench. A coaching change always shifts the draft conversation a little, because the front office has to think about what kind of player fits the identity it wants to build.

Malhotra's name gaining this kind of traction suggests Vancouver may be looking at more than raw skill. It suggests a player the organization believes can handle structure, responsibility, and a role that translates cleanly to pro hockey.

The timing adds more weight too. Draft talk is always full of smoke, but a quote this direct lands differently because it cuts through the usual vague language.

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That is why Marek's comment hits. It does not sound like a broad ranking opinion. It sounds like a read on where the Canucks could plant their flag when their turn comes.

And once that happens, every team behind them has to adjust. If Malhotra is truly viewed as unlikely to get past Vancouver, then clubs lower on the board have to start working through their next option now.

For the Canucks, that can be a good place to be. It means there is conviction somewhere in the process, and conviction matters when teams are trying to avoid getting cute on draft day.

It also gives fans a cleaner window into what Vancouver may value this summer. Not just talent, but projection, fit, and the kind of player a new coaching staff can trust early.

That does not mean the pick is locked in. Draft boards move, other teams call, and one surprise selection can change the entire first round in a hurry.

But the buzz around Caleb Malhotra feels stronger than a passing rumor. Right now, Vancouver looks like the team setting the line, and the rest of the draft may have to react to it.

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1 HOUR AGO   |   101 ANSWERS Insider just revealed who the Canucks are likely taking and it's huge Will the Canucks end up taking Caleb Malhotra on draft night ?

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