Caleb Malhotra is a second-generation player. His father, Manny, was a good NHLer whom I covered, and now his son is heading into his draft year. He turns 18 in early June, and he’s a center.
Malhotra has a famous uncle, Steve Nash, who is a very celebrated basketball player. He played hockey growing up, so Caleb has two pros in the family. That can be a big benefit to know how to be a pro at an early age.
He plays for the Brantford Bulldogs. Malhotra recently received OHL Rookie of the Week honors. He had two goals and two assists headed into the CHL/USA Prospect Challenge. He had one goal and one assist in the three-game tournament. He stood out in the tournament, and that has fast-tracked him in some rankings.
Malhotra is already 6’2”, 182 pounds, and his skating is very good because he can make plays at speed. That’s something that stands out to NHL GMs as well. To be a good center, you have to be good defensively and be able to control face-offs. He’s on his way. He is 47% on draws according to InStat, and he gets 32% defensive zone starts and which shows the coaching staff trusts him.
The pivot is averaging over 18 minutes of ice time and plays in all situations. That’s good. He does use his frame at times, and I think he will be more aggressive in the future. Malhotra does lose some puck battles, but not an alarming number. I like the fact that he’s very active on every shift. His engagement is top-notch.
I like his shot, but I think he’s a playmaker and a creative one at that. His passing is good. I think it can improve with some editing. He tries to make every play, and I think over time he will figure out which plays he shouldn’t attempt. For now, I appreciate the passes he can make.
He’s over a point-per-game right now. I think that will last; there’s no reason to think he will tail off. It’s great production, but with some projecting, he seems like a second-line center who can play up if necessary. I’m looking at him as a top-20 guy currently, but it’s early, and he has a lot of games and potentially some tournaments to play in before I get a full picture of him.
