NHL Draft notebook: Malhotra making waves in rookie season with Brantford

The 2026 NHL Draft will be held in June at a site to be determined. NHL.com will take a closer look at some of the draft-eligible players to watch. This week, a profile on center Caleb Malhotra with Brantford of the Ontario Hockey League.

Caleb Malhotra learned long ago to never cheat the game, and those lessons have certainly helped create a greater appreciation for success.

The son of former NHL forward Manny Malhotra, one of the more respected skaters in the game, is so far acing his first big test as a rookie center with Brantford of the Ontario Hockey League, ranking second among all OHL first-year players with 29 points (10 goals, 19 assists) in 23 games.

"Dad was the reason I got into hockey as a kid," Caleb said. "I watched what he did every day. He went to work, played hockey and it was cool and that's how I saw the game. But, off the ice, he's always been a leader and role model, such a strong man and somebody I really strive to be like every day."

Caleb served as captain for the Canadian Hockey League in the CHL USA Prospects Challenge two-game series staged earlier this week in Calgary and Lethbridge, Alberta. The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, according to Brantford coach Jay McKee.

"He's a complete player who plays both ways on the puck," the former NHL defenseman said. "It's really impressive what he's done coming in as a first-year player, in his draft year. He kind of found some chemistry right away with the line that I put him on in training camp and we kind of stuck with that for majority of the season. He has the ability to score but he's the kind of guy that makes the players around him better, so I have no doubt that anyone he plays with, it's going to be a strong line."

The elder Malhotra, who currently serves as coach of Abbotsford, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks, was selected No. 7 by the New York Rangers in the 1998 NHL Draft. He played for seven teams over 16 NHL seasons, scoring 295 points (116 goals, 179 assists) in 991 career games, and had a career face-off winning percentage of 56.4, which ranks fourth all-time among players with 5,000-plus attempts.

"Manny and his wife have done an exceptional job at raising a really high quality, character kid in Caleb," McKee said. "His leadership ability, the way he connects with not just older but younger players, has been great. He often asks for the linesmen's first name so he can engage with them on the ice. He's an absolute gem of a human being and we're grateful to have some time with him."

Malhotra has a 46.0 face-off winning percentage (156 for 339) this season.

"On face-offs, a strong base is important," he said. "If you don't have it, not strong on your feet, you're not balanced and it's tough to win. You have to have absolute perfect timing. My dad also talks about hand-eye and timing, just making sure you get the puck and hit the ice at the same time making one sound."

Malhotra has played second-line center with left wing Sam McCue (Toronto Maple Leafs) and right wing Cooper Dennis much of the season.

"I think I've started the season just how I wanted to start," Malhotra said. "It's exactly where I thought I would be because I worked so hard this summer, making sure I'd be ready for this year. I've had the best start possible, but I want to keep going, making sure it's not a one-off, and not just a hot start. It's something I can consistently keep working at."

Malhotra really popped to begin the season, scoring three goals and six assists in his first four games, to immediately get the attention of scouts.

"He continues to make an impressive showing for a first-year player even after Jake O'Brien (Seattle Kraken) and Marek Vanacker (Chicago Blackhawks) came back from NHL camps," NHL Central Scouting director Dan Marr said. "He still has gotten his spot in the lineup, his place on the power play. That's pretty telling for a 17-year-old to maintain that position when you've got all these high-end drafted players returning to the lineup."

Malhotra (6-foot-1, 182 pounds), who is an A rated skater on NHL Central Scouting's preliminary players to watch list and a projected first-round selection in the 2026 NHL Draft, is committed to Boston University in 2026-27.

"The truth is, I want whatever Caleb thinks is best for himself," McKee said. "Obviously, if he was to choose to stay in Brantford, we'll welcome him with open arms, and he'd be a leader on our team. If he chooses to move on to BU, you feel that's what's best for his development and his future and we'd be very happy for him."

PROSPECTS ON THE RADAR (listed alphabetically)

Brady Knowling, G, USA U-18: Knowling, a B rated goalie committed to Boston University in 2027-28, made 42 saves and was named player of the game for the NTDP in the win on Tuesday. The 17-year-old (6-5, 203) looked confident and decisive in his positioning and provided several big stops down the stretch when the NTDP was clinging to a 3-2 lead late in the third period.

Victor Plante, F, USA U-18 (USHL): Plante, a B rated skater on NHL Central Scouting's preliminary players to watch list, scored his second goal during a 3-on-3 overtime tiebreaker to help USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under-18 team defeat Team CHL in Game 2 of the CHL USA Prospects Challenge in Lethbridge, Alberta, on Wednesday. Committed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 2026-27, the left wing (5-9, 163) leads the NTDP in goals (nine) and points (19) in 22 games this season.

Chase Reid, D, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL): It was only last year Reid was in the NAHL with Bismark, where he had 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 18 games, before joining the Greyhounds in December 2024 and immediately became an impact player. He had 40 points (seven goals, 33 assists) in 39 games last season, and ranks second among OHL defensemen with 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in 26 games this season. Reid (6-2, 187) is an A rated prospect on Central Scouting's preliminary players to watch list, and scored a goal for Team CHL in the top prospects game on Tuesday.