There is something fun about watching a team build for the future. You don’t know exactly what these young players will become, of course, but every once in a while you see something that makes you stop and wonder. With the Vancouver Canucks, two young players are giving fans plenty to think about.
Caleb Malhotra and Zeev Buium are very different, but both are considered important pieces of the Canucks’ future. One might eventually grow into a leader down the middle, while the other has already shown flashes of the kind of offensive ability that could make him a star on the blue line.
Could the Canucks Have Found Their Next Leader in Malhotra?
Whenever a team drafts a young player, the first question fans usually ask is, “Who does he remind us of?” For Canucks fans, Bo Horvat is an interesting comparison for Malhotra. Nobody is saying Malhotra is going to become Horvat, but there are some similarities.
Like Horvat, he is a big centre with a strong two-way game and leadership qualities. Horvat was never the player who grabbed everyone’s attention with highlight-reel plays every night. He was the player coaches trusted to take important minutes, and he eventually became a captain because of the way he approached the game.
Caleb Malhotra, Brantford Bulldogs (Brandon Taylor/ OHL Images)
Their development paths are interesting, too. Horvat’s first season with the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) London Knights was good but not spectacular before he broke out with 33 goals and 61 points the following season. Malhotra followed a somewhat similar path.
After putting up 26 points in 44 games with the British Columbia Hockey League’s Chilliwack Chiefs, he broke out with the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs, scoring 84 points in 67 games and adding 26 points in 15 playoff games. That jump is probably more important than the numbers themselves. Young players develop at different speeds, and sometimes something clicks. If Malhotra takes another step as he gets older and stronger, Vancouver could have the beginnings of a very useful centre.
Buium’s First NHL Game Offered a Glimpse of Something Special
Buium’s first NHL game wasn’t perfect. That’s probably what made it interesting. The 19-year-old made some rookie mistakes in Game 1 of the Minnesota Wild’s first-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights in 2025, but he also showed why the Canucks acquired him as a potential major piece of their blue line.
Buium moved the puck confidently, carried it into the offensive zone, and looked comfortable making plays. The Wild even trusted him on the power play and with the net empty late in the game. For a teenager playing his first NHL game on that stage, that’s a pretty strong vote of confidence.
Vancouver Canucks defenseman Zeev Buium and Los Angeles Kings right wing Adrian Kempe battle for the puck. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images)
The exciting part for Canucks fans is that Buium doesn’t have to become Quinn Hughes to be a star in Vancouver. He just has to become Zeev Buium. His first game was only one game, and 13 minutes of hockey shouldn’t have anyone making wild predictions. Last season he began to show his skill with the Canucks, playing 45 games and recording three goals and nine assists for 12 points.
Still, the offensive instincts, confidence, and willingness to make plays were already visible. Sometimes a young player’s first game doesn’t tell you exactly what he will become. It simply gives you a glimpse of why people are so excited about what might be coming.
What Do These Two Players Mean for Vancouver?
The Canucks aren’t simply collecting young talent. They are trying to identify the players who will ultimately define the team’s next version. Malhotra could become the big, dependable centre who takes important minutes and grows into a leadership role. Buium could become the puck-moving defenceman who helps drive the offence from the back end.
There is still plenty of development ahead for both players, and that’s worth remembering. But that’s also the fun part. Vancouver doesn’t need either player to become the finished product tomorrow. The Canucks need them to keep getting better. If Malhotra can develop into the kind of centre Horvat became and Buium grows into the offensive defenceman his first NHL game hinted he could be, the future in Vancouver starts looking a little more interesting.
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