Vancouver's Going All-In With Ex-Players, and Manny Malhotra's Son Caleb Is At The Center Of It

Alright, Seattle, listen up, because those guys up north in Vancouver are making some moves, and yeah, we gotta talk about it. They're going full-on legacy mode with their front office, bringing in a ton of old players to run the show. And get this, a major mock draft has them targeting head coach Manny Malhotra's own son, Caleb, in the upcoming draft. You can't make this stuff up, can you?

The Old Boys' Club Takes Over The Front Office

Those Canucks aren't just looking for new blood on the ice, they're stacking their front office with familiar faces. We're talking Henrik and Daniel Sedin as Co-Presidents, Ryan Johnson elevated to General Manager, and Manny Malhotra is their new head coach. That's four former players now at the helm, charting their "next chapter." It's an interesting strategy, to say the least. Adding to the mix, NHL prospect experts are raving about their new hire, Daren Hermiston, who is stepping in as Director of Player Personnel and Player Development. There's even talk that Arshdeep Bains’ agent is expected to join the Canucks’ front office, too. It sure feels like they're trying to build something specific, putting their past players in charge of their future. For a team "on route to a rebuild," their far-flung future is definitely more important than the present day.

Manny Malhotra's Son and The Draft Buzz

Now, here's where it gets wild. Daily Faceoff just dropped their latest 2026 NHL mock draft, and they've got the Canucks snagging Caleb Malhotra, Manny's son, at third overall. Talk about a family affair, right? Coach Malhotra himself acknowledged it, saying, "I'm dad, who also happens to be a professional hockey coach." That's classic. The Canucks also have another projected pick at 24th overall, with Daily Faceoff slotting in Ilia Morozov there. We also heard those Canucks took four prospects to dinner at the 2026 NHL Draft combine. And yeah, Gavin McKenna went to dinner with *only* the Canucks. It probably doesn't mean much, but it's totally fun to pretend it might, isn't it? Meanwhile, Nils Höglander is apparently already in "future considerations" territory. Yikes. Oh, and totally unrelated, but the NHL Notebook has Larkin requesting a trade out of Detroit, and Edmonton and Nurse are 'heading toward breakup'. Drama everywhere! So, there you have it. The Canucks are diving headfirst into a rebuild with a front office full of former players, and they might even draft their new coach's kid. The draft is looming, and we'll see if those "far-flung future" plans start to take shape. It's never boring up there, is it?

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.