Caleb Malhotra is the 2026 NHL Draft’s top center

The 2026 NHL Draft is quickly approaching, and with the junior and college seasons wrapping up, it’s becoming clear which of the North American prospects might be the best standouts up for selection. 

Among them is Caleb Malhotra, formerly of the Brantford Bulldogs. The son of former NHLer and current Abbotsford Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra scored 29 goals and 55 assists for 84 points in 67 OHL games this season, and has committed to play for Boston University in 2026-27. 

On a recent episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, DFO’s associate editor and prospect analyst Steven Ellis joined co-hosts Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton to break down where his draft stock may stand. 

Tyler Yaremchuk: He’s committed to Boston University for next season. Is he a guy who you think could go top five this year in the draft? Has he improved his draft stock, potentially with his 12 points in five OHL playoff games?

Steven Ellis:  Absolutely…I’d say he’s been the early, maybe not just the OHL playoff MVP, but maybe the CHL playoff MVP so far. So we’ll see. He had a very productive season, his first year in the OHL, as the league’s best rookie. I think the thing with him is, is he going to be dynamic enough to be a No. 1 center? I don’t think so, and that could push him down a little bit in the draft world. 

The big question for him is, is he closer to five, or is he closer to nine? I think right now, there are a lot of big defensemen who are going to make it difficult for him to go high in the draft. That being said, I think he’s the hardest-working center in this draft. He is the best center in this draft, and teams are going to be excited. So I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s taken at three, and I also wouldn’t be surprised if he falls to eighth, so there’s a bit of variance there, but I do really like his game. 

You can catch the full prospects segment with Steven Ellis and the rest of the episode here…