Canucks, Caleb Malhotra now head toward the tricky part after draft decision

For a time, the suggestion was that the Vancouver Canucks would do the obvious and draft Caleb Malhotra with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Then there was a stretch when reports indicated that wasn't likely to happen.

In the end, the Canucks did the obvious: Malhotra is coming "home," if you will.

The Canucks' new head coach is Manny Malhotra, Caleb's father.

And yep, that's going to bring on some tricky layers, no matter how well the Malhotra family handles them.

MORE: What the Gavin McKenna pick means for the Maple Leafs

Will the Canucks rush Caleb and have it look like favoritism? Will they make him work extra hard to prove himself and actually hold him back, in an effort to avoid showing favoritism?

What will the head coach say when his son struggles? Will he be protective? Extra harsh?

This will be a fascinating narrative to watch, to be sure.

The thing is: This still was probably the right pick.

The Canucks knew when they promoted Manny from their AHL job that Caleb may very well be their draft pick. They made the hire anyway.

Caleb was the top center in the draft, and that's notable. He can be a key contributor for a long time, and a rebuilding team couldn't pass up the guy they felt was the best player available.

But yeah, the shared last name with his head coach will make things just a bit trickier for Caleb. It'll be comforting to have a familiar face, you'd think, but everything else will feel a bit more complex.

The Canucks have a lot of work to do, and they'll just have to hope that this works out in the end.

More NHL news:

• Jack Eichel turned into Ben Simmons
• Frederik Andersen heading toward an unceremonious exit
• Cale Makar is about to become a lot more expensive
• Sidney Crosby trade plans did a 180 for the Penguins
• It's time to ask a serious Matthew Knies question