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JPat’s Monday Mailbag: Which young Canucks player has best chance to rebound or develop under Manny Malhotra?
Jeff Paterson's weekly Vancouver Canucks mailbag.
Jeff Paterson
Jun 8, 2026, 10:00 EDTUpdated: Jun 7, 2026, 19:01 EDT
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The Vancouver Canucks continue to chip away at their lengthy offseason ‘to do’ list.
Over the past week, they’ve hired a head coach and added a director of player personnel. They interviewed a number of prospects at the NHL Combine. And who knows, perhaps this week they’ll add another assistant general manager or start to round out Manny Malhotra’s bench staff. As we wait for the next shoe(s) to drop, we will do what we do every Monday – answer some of the questions sent our way by curious Canucks fans. This is the Monday Mailbag. Let’s get to work.

Which young Canuck do you think has the best chance to rebound or develop better under Malhotra?

— Strongbelly (@strongbelly.bsky.social) 2026-06-06T23:08:16.157Z

The easy answer here is Aatu Räty. He’s played for Manny Malhotra in Abbotsford, and his game style closely resembles the way Malhotra played in the NHL. Räty needs to show there is more to his game than being a faceoff savant. It’ll be fascinating to see what Malhotra can do to help Räty grow as a three-zone player. Of course, it’s a two-way street, and Räty needs to put in work this offseason so that he hits the ground running at training camp. How does Räty unlock more offence than the four goals and 14 points he produced in 66 games last season? Can he carve out a role as a regular penalty killer? This feels like a big year for Aatu Räty to take a significant step in his career. It will also be interesting to see what Malhotra can do to help Braeden Cootes, depending on where the 2025 first-rounder plays next season. And also, can Malhotra have a positive impact to help defenceman Elias Pettersson get past his sophomore struggles? The new coach has his work cut out for him, getting a number of young players to level up. But those are certainly three that jump to mind.
I’m going to answer no to this one. The new hockey calendar begins on July 1st, which means many people in the business are approaching the end of their current contracts. It’s not unusual to see people shake free in the summer months. Between hiring a head coach, a new director of player personnel and conducting business at the combine, the new Canucks front office has had its hands full since taking over three weeks ago. There are months still before the puck drops and the team starts playing games. So beefing up the staff remains a work in progress, and they’ve got time on their side in that regard. I know this can be an impatient market, and that the organization doesn’t necessarily deserve the benefit of the doubt on many files, but I think you have to give them a little time here to get their house in order. Ask the question in August, and perhaps you’ll get a different answer, but for now, I don’t think there is enough evidence to suggest there is reason to be worried.
My hunch is that Filip Hronek would get the nod. He was the team’s MVP and its second leading scorer last season, so we know what he means to the group on the ice. But beyond that, we heard nothing but glowing reviews from players and coaches alike about his leadership behind the closed locker room doors. While he chooses to maintain a low profile (or as low a profile as a hockey player can keep in Vancouver), he is said to be the consummate professional, teammate and mentor to the young players that have been added to the roster. So if you passed around ballots and asked the Canucks players to vote, I think Hronek would finish first, likely followed closely by Brock Boeser, with Marcus Pettersson not far behind. It would be interesting to see whether there was any voting bloc based on age. Would the young players want to see a fresh voice take over? Would someone like Zeev Buium garner some support?
No news to report. We last heard from the Canucks netminder at the season-ending media availability when he discussed his recovery from hip surgery. He sounded optimistic that he would be fully healthy for training camp after a summer of training. Then again, it’s important to note that Demko will turn 31 in December, so he no longer has youth on his side to overcome the compounding injuries. He is weeks away from a significant pay raise as his new three-year $25.5M extension kicks in on July 1st. And with that new deal comes a full no-movement clause for the duration of the contract. We don’t truly know his willingness to stick it out for the rebuild, but after July 1st, he will have full control over his situation. After the past few seasons and a litany of injuries, Demko first and foremost needs to prove he is 100% recovered and good to go. Of course, getting healthy is one thing. Staying healthy is another. And then there is the workload question. Like every coach that has come before him, Manny Malhotra is going to have to fight the urge to lean on Demko as his best chance for early success. The Canucks need to come up with a plan for their goalies (whether it’s two or three on the NHL roster) and stick to it when all goalies are healthy and available. 
I think it boils down to developmental runway and the belief that acquiring teams will be able to turn those draft picks into National Hockey League players. Most teams would prefer to take their chances on a lottery ticket and believe that their organization will be able to draft and develop 17 and 18-year-olds rather than acquire a player that has perhaps stalled out further along his development pathway in another system. There is just something about a clean slate. There is also the flexibility that comes with draft picks. Teams can use them to stock their own pipeline, but they can also be used as assets to facilitate other moves, either on their own or as add-ons in another deal.

It is strange how some draft years seem strong and others seem weak. You’d think it would be more random. What is the weakest draft year and the strongest draft year in your memory and what is this year’s in comparison?

— Dogface Riley (@dogfaceriley.bsky.social) 2026-06-06T19:11:00.399Z

We’re going back a few years here, but the 2003 first round stands as arguably the greatest first round in NHL history. Every player selected in that first round played NHL games, and 13 of the players went on to log more than 1,000 NHL games. Brent Burns and Corey Perry are still playing 23 years later. The 2015 first round ranks pretty highly too: Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, Noah Hanifin, Zach Werenski and Mikko Rantanen all went in the top 10. The first round also included Mat Barzal, Kyle Connor, Thomas Chabot, Jake DeBrusk and Brock Boeser. 
The 2012 Draft stands out for the wrong reasons, with Nail Yakupov, Ryan Murray, Alex Galchenyuk and Griffin Reinhart going with the first four picks. The 2021 Draft has produced a lot of decent players, but it is short on absolute star power (Owen Power, Matty Beniers, and Mason McTavish were the top three picks that year). Dallas centre Wyatt Johnston leads the 2021 draft class in scoring and was taken 23rd overall.
Without a crystal ball, it’s impossible to know how the 2026 class will turn out. But certainly with Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg and all the high-end defencemen projected to go early, it feels like the cream of this year’s crop has plenty of potential to make an impact in the NHL.
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