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Dave Hall talks Carson Carels’ rise, Canucks options later in the first round, and more: Canucks Conversation
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Photo credit: © Candace Kludt
Clarke Corsan
Apr 24, 2026, 10:00 EDTUpdated: Apr 23, 2026, 22:32 EDT
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On today’s episode of Canucks Conversation, David Quadrelli and Harman Dayal were joined by Dave Hall to break down Carson Carels’ rise up draft boards and what options the Vancouver Canucks could consider later in the first round.
Hall started with Carels, a player who has steadily climbed into the conversation as one of the more reliable defencemen in this year’s class.
“He’s been awesome,” Hall said. “I’ve been watching tape all year, and the more I watch Carels, I’ve been so impressed by his all-around game. If you’re looking for an all-around presence, he’s definitely put his name in that hat of, if you pick him, I wouldn’t be upset. He’s solidified himself as that guy.”
While some prospects may carry higher offensive upside, Hall believes Carels brings a level of consistency that teams value.
“I think he’s above Chase Reid; Reid is the most dynamic and upside worthy defenceman,” Hall said. “I don’t know if he’s the best defenceman per se, but he’s got the most potential to be that PP1 top defenceman kind of guy.
“With Carels, he mixes great skating, sound play in all three zones and exploded offensively this year with 73 points,” Hall said. “That was the one question mark in his game… so that’s been answered. I don’t think he’s as dynamic as a Chase Reid or even Keaton Verhoeff, but if you’re looking for a solid NHL defenceman, there’s so much about his game that’s awesome.”
From there, the conversation shifted to what Vancouver could do with their later first-round pick – the one acquired from Minnesota – in what Hall described as a less predictable range of the draft.
“Once you get past that top 15, it’s so tough,” Hall said. “There’s a lot of guys who might jump up or fall in the draft, so it all depends on how Vancouver does with their first pick. An Alexander Command – a Swedish centre who you have to make a pun with his name because he commands the ice when he’s out there. If they take a forward like McKenna or Stenberg first, I’m not going to be upset with a Malte Gustafsson or a Juho Piiparinen – these are solid defencemen who are going to get the job done,” he said.
There’s also the possibility of swinging for upside later on.
“Mathis Preston is another guy you can maybe take a swing on; he’s got all the skill in the world to be a top 10 pick, hustles like a dog and is one of the better skaters in this class,” Hall said. “He’s also the smaller style, all offence type who will slip in the draft and could be a real boom or bust.”
Hall also touched on Caleb Malhotra, a player who’s been rising quickly in this year’s draft class, especially given the lack of depth at centre.
“This isn’t a very strong centre class so the fact he’s probably the top centre available, both those factors are pushing him up and I do worry it’s setting an unfair expectation on his game,” Hall said.
Context is important here.
“He’s on a superteam in juniors, so his stats are padded a little bit but he’s a really good small-ice game player,” he said. “Super competitive, awesome two-way and will leave it all out there every shift.”
For teams like Vancouver that are thin down the middle, the appeal is obvious – but Hall cautioned against expecting too much offensively.
“I’m all for Malhotra if it’s third overall; even maybe second if you’re looking for a centre,” Hall said. “But I think there needs to be a limit on his expectations. On a good team, he’s probably a really good 2C. I just don’t know if that offence is dynamic enough to make him a 1C.”
You can watch the full segment below!
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