Making The Case: Caleb Malhotra
The best natural center in this draft class—and the Rangers desperately need one. The case for Caleb Malhotra at fifth overall is strong. Getting him there is the hard part.
Almost 28 years ago exactly from the date of the 2026 NHL Draft, the New York Rangers used their seventh overall pick to draft a defensive-minded two-way center from the Guelph Storm by the name of Manny Malhotra. Almost three decades later, they’ll have the chance to draft another coveted center with the Malhotra name.
Yes, we’re talking about Manny’s son, Caleb Malhotra.
What makes this connection even crazier is the 1998 draft took place in Buffalo, N.Y. While this year’s draft will be more decentralized, I bet you’ll never guess which city is hosting the 2026 draft. Will the stars align for the Malhotra name to live on again in New York? Or will the Rangers falling to fifth overall cost them the chance of drafting one of the most exciting centers in this draft class?
Here’s the case for why Caleb Malhotra should be the Rangers number one priority.
Player Information
Caleb Malhotra was one of the first prospects I covered this season for the Draft Radar Scouting Report Series. Looking back, it’s crazy to think there was a time in which he was projected to be an early second round pick, considering he has blossomed into the top natural center in this draft class.
Listed sixth on the NHL's final North American Central Scouting list, most mock drafts have Malhotra projected to go between picks three and five. The Brantford Bulldogs top center wasted no time getting acclimated to the OHL, as he was performing at well over a point-per-game pace within the first 15 games of the season. At 6-2 and 182 pounds, the left-shot, two-way center was establishing himself as a reliable top forward with a brilliant hockey IQ and remarkable 200-foot game. As the season went on he not only finished his rookie year with 84 points (29 goals and 55 assists) in 67 games played, but went on to have a monstrous playoff performance with 26 points (split evenly between 13 goals and 13 assists) in 15 games.
