Friday, August 07, 2026

Amico shines at WJSS; Pando's first look at Malhotra;

CollegePuckNXT's analysis of college hockey rosters has BU tied with Michigan State for most NHL draft picks (17) and just ahead of defending champion Denver (16). Both the Spartans and the Pioneers are on the Terriers' out-of-conference schedule this season.

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 A little context: MSU's 17 picks include 9 first-round selections; BU has just two, Caleb Malhotra and Tynan Lawrence, although nine Terriers are second-round selections including freshmen Haoxi Wang (#33 overall) and Xavier Villeneuve (#34).  BU currently has one roster slot that has yet to be filled. 

Following last season's 11-man freshman class, BU currently has just five on the 2026-27 roster: Malhotra, Wang, Villeneuver, Niklas Aaram-Olsen and Viktor Nörringer. 6'5" blueliner Carter Amico, a freshman last year, returns as a sophomore after spending second semester on the top D pair at USHL Muskegon. 

Amico was a surprise standout to many observers at the recent World Junior Summer Showcase. He was the only Terrier in the U.S lineup for the final three games. 2027 recruit Brady Knowling didn't participate at the WJSS, but remains the projected starter in goal for Team USA at this winter's WJCs.

The Daily Faceoff's Steven Ellis wrote:

"Amico received rave reviews from Philly development camp, so I was excited to see what type of role he’d end up having here. And, damn; he was legitimately one of the best defensemen in Windsor. In two years with the National Team Development Program, Amico had just one goal. Last season, he had one regular season goal and then three in the playoffs. That felt like a breakthrough for a guy who hadn’t really put a ton of pucks on net since he was about 13 years old.

"But Amico was outstanding at this tournament, creating some high-quality offensive chances every single night. He’s one of those guys that really had to find a way to play their way onto the main roster, but I know the coaching staff had to love what they saw with his two-way game. Amico’s bread and butter is taking space away swiftly and effectively, but the up-ice puck rushes were a nice touch, as well."  

●  BroadStreetHockey.com Carter Amico is turning heads at the World Junior Summer Showcase

● TheHockeyNews.com Flyers Defensive Prospect "One of the Best" at World Junior Summer Showcase

►First-round draft picks Malhotra and Tynan Lawrence also had strong performances for Canada at the WJSS. NHL.com reported:

Tynan Lawrence alternated between center and the wing during the WJSS, and the St. Louis Blues forward prospect said he's willing to play wherever the coaches need him if it means he's on Canada's World Junior team.

"I don't think it makes too much of a difference," he said. "I think playing with good players and being able to adapt to certain situations and different positions is a good thing to have as you get older and (reach) higher levels. There's going to be top centers on the team so being able to have that ability to move to the wing and still be productive, I think that's a good thing to have."   

Several post-WJSS projections for Team Canada have Malhotra at center on one of the top two lines, with Lawrence slotted at forward.  

Following the WJSS, Malhotra was back in British Columbia preparing for his freshman season, skating with several NHLers. 

More Celebrini and Malhotra at practice. 

Head coach Jay Pandolfo first saw Malhotra play as a 15-year-old in a Montreal tournament and remembers thinking then, “You could see his understanding of the game, his hockey sense.” Pandolfo spoke at length with The Province about the young center: 

“Little things he did out there you noticed. He just stood out,” Pandolfo recalled of that viewing years ago. “And he’s just continuing to get better. This past year he’s really taken off. He’s bigger, stronger, all those things. I think that’s really helped him. I think there’s a confidence to go along with that, and he obviously played on a really good team (with Brantford). “He’s just going to continue to get better and grow as a player.

“I expect him to help us in all areas,” Pandolfo said of Malhotra, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound left-handed shot. “The centre position for us — as it is with most teams — is really important and we think he’ll be able to help us both offensively and defensively because of his skill set."

● TheProvince.com Caleb Malhotra's NCAA coach saw success coming three summers ago

►Aaram-Olsen, who made a strong impression at Canucks' development camp where he skated with Malhotra and Aiden Celebrini, talked to NHL.com about his season with Ă–rebro HK in Sweden's J20 Nationell (20-20-40 in 29 games):

“I think I got more of an all-around game, 200-foot game, got better in defensive zone, and just keep developing using my body a little bit more, get a little bit more grit,” Aaram-Olsen said. 

His plan for the summer is to continue building on those improvements, while applying what he’s learned at development camp. With a more fast-paced game awaiting him in the NCAA in the fall, he’s concentrating on improving his first five strides and body positioning to help him adapt quickly. 

Aaram-Olsen chose BU because it felt like the right fit, and because of the program’s long history of developing NHL talent. 

● NHL.com Niklas Aaram-Olsen is Focused on the Details

● CanucksArmy.com CA’s top 20 Canucks summer prospect rankings: #8 Niklas Aaram-Olsen

Joining Caleb Malhotra, Aaram-Olsen should be given a very good opportunity next year in the NCAA, and he will have a good chance to adapt to the North American game as he continues to develop. Somewhat similar to Tom Willander’s transition to Vancouver, being drafted out of Sweden, heading to the NCAA and then, hopefully, in Aaram-Olsen’s case, making the jump to pro hockey in the Canucks organization. 
 
The biggest goal for Aaram-Olsen this upcoming season will be to continue to use his offensive ability to produce. Develop into more of a complete 200-foot player, play with more consistency and get stronger in the gym.

Looking ahead

While it's been a quiet start to recruiting season for 2010 birthdates for BU, some potential prospect names have begun to emerge, including this older one.  

With Luke Schairer flipping his commitment to BC, BU has just two defensemen in the pipeline for 2027-28: Freddy Meyer V (Quebec) and Blake Barnes (Niagara).    The Athletic reports on one possible candidate.

NeutralZone's profile :

4 ⭐️Brek Liske is a 6’1′, 192-pound right-shot defenseman who logged heavy minutes for Everett (20:59 TOI, 2:44 SHT, +36). He is a reliable, detail-driven defender with a strong foundation. He is steady, composed, and efficient rather than dynamic and that translates to the NHL game as he consistently makes clean first passes (90% pass completion) and manages play through structure and positioning. 

Last month, he attended Philadelphia's development camp along with 2025 second-round picks Amico and Jack Murtagh. 

  

 

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