The Vancouver Canucks are only four weeks away from making a franchise-altering decision.
For the first time in 27 years, they will make a top-three selection in the NHL Draft.
Most pundits seem to think that Vancouver’s selection is a foregone conclusion, with the majority of experts predicting the Canucks will select Caleb Malhotra at third overall. We covered 10 prominent mock drafts last week, with nine of them presuming the Canucks would pick Malhotra.
One of those pundits who predicted the Canucks would draft Malhotra was Elite Prospect’s Cam Robinson. However, he dropped another report on Friday saying that Malhotra to the Canucks is far from a guarantee.
“I had a little nugget come to me there the other day,” Robinson said on Called Up: The Hockey Prospects Podcast. “Everybody is really assuming that Vancouver, myself included, is huge on Caleb Mahaltra and that he is a slam dunk at three, even if Ivar [Stenberg] is there.”
“I got pushback on that this week. I think that, internally, it sounds like there’s a real split with that new regime in Vancouver.”
Robinson continued to suggest that the split is between three different players.
“One faction [of Canucks management] is really pro-Ivar, having him at the top of the list. One is really Caleb Maholtra, and then I think Keaton Verhoeff is still in that mix. I think Todd Harvey and some of the top scouts, they’re still really like Verhoeff.”
“We’ll see. But I don’t think it’s a done deal that if Ivar and Malhotra are sitting there, that it’s like, locked and loaded, that it’s going to be Malhotra.”
If Stenberg is available for the Canucks at third overall, he’ll be a hard player to pass on.
Will the Canucks actually pass on Ivar Stenberg if he’s available? (Nick Wosika/Imagn Images)
For most of the season, the Swedish winger was in the conversation at first overall, with the debate all season long really being between him and Gavin McKenna.
Stenberg had one of the most prolific seasons by a draft-eligible player in SHL history, finishing his campaign with 33 points in 43 games. Only Daniel and Henrik Sedin had more points historically among draft-eligible SHL players.
The Stenungsund, Sweden native registered 0.76 points per game. That surpassed Henrik’s 0.69 point-per-game mark, and trails only Daniel all-time (0.84).
Stenberg also caught the attention of casual onlookers during the World Championships, where he posted four goals and eight points in eight games. That was third on Sweden’s team behind only Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Lucas Raymond.
HOLY MAMA IVAR STENBERG. 🚨 pic.twitter.com/f8byVVpCJ6
— Nathan “Grav” Murdock (@NathanGraviteh) May 26, 2026
While Malhotra had a fantastic season in the OHL, his dominance didn’t come against men like Stenberg’s did.
However, if Stenberg is gone by No. 3, Robinson’s report suggests that the Canucks choice will boil down to Malhotra or Verhoeff.
That’s a fascinating tidbit, largely because Verhoeff has seen his stock drop over the second half of the season.
The 6-foot-4 defenceman has an enticing toolkit, mixing strong skating and decent offensive instincts with his large frame. He also has a powerful shot.
However, numerous, glaring defensive mistakes became a calling card of his game over the course of the season with the University of North Dakota. Still, he was one of the youngest players in the league, and doesn’t turn 18 years old until June 19.
Verhoeff garnered attention last season by scoring 21 goals in 63 games with the Victoria Royals of the WHL. He clearly has a high ceiling, even if defencemen such as Chase Reid and Carson Carels have been more highly-touted of late, leading up to the draft.
The nice thing about drafting Verhoeff over Malhotra, though, is that the Canucks wouldn’t have to worry about their No. 3 pick potentially playing for his dad in the future.