First-round picks: Malhotra to Canucks, Lawrence to Blues

 

  

BU's potential top two centers for 2026-27 were selected early the NHL Entry Draft as expected. Brantford's Caleb Malhotra was the third pick by Vancouver, the team he rooted for growing up, while rising sophomore Tynan Lawrence went to St. Louis at #11. They are the 28th and 29th Terriers chosen in the first round of the draft.

BU has multiple players selected in the Top 11 of an NHL Draft for the first time in program history

— BU Hockey Stats (@BUHockeyStats) June 27, 2026 

● GoTerriers.com Malhotra, Lawrence drafted in first round of 2026 NHL Draft

● College Hockey News NHL Draft: 19 Current, Incoming College Players Taken in 1st Round

   

Malhotra, who skyrocketed up the draft rankings, emerged as the top center available following an 84-point regular season--and 26 more in the playoffs--for the Bulldogs. When he eventually turns pro, he'll skate for his father, Manny Malhotra, the Canucks' new head coach and himself a first-round pick in 1998. 

● TSN Video DraftCentre Analysis: Canucks take Caleb Malhotra at No. 3

“Caleb Malhotra’s greatest asset, as good as his hockey sense and his speed and size is, is his character,” an anonymous NHL scout told The Athletic of Malhotra’s game in May. “He’s got elite character. I could see him captaining an NHL team someday, and you’re seeing it, his production in big games has gone to another level. He’s been dynamite in the playoffs.  

"This is actually what I dreamed of." 💙

Caleb Malhotra chats with the Sportsnet panel about the emotions he felt after getting selected by the #Canucks.#NHLDraft | @ubereats pic.twitter.com/tlL0Z81IiP

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) June 27, 2026

 NHL.com report

Malhotra (6-foot-2, 185 pounds) is one of junior hockey's most complete and trusted centers, having rapidly become a cornerstone piece playing key minutes in all situations. He has elite hockey sense and speed, and his ability to manage pace, arrive in space ahead of defenders and elevate linemates are qualities that separate him from others at his position. The 18-year-old is a committed two-way forward who was second among Ontario Hockey League rookies with 84 points (29 goals, 55 assists) in 67 games, and led Brantford during the playoffs with 26 points (13 goals, 13 assists) in 15 games. He'll play at Boston University next season. 

NHL.com analysis: The first step in the Canucks rebuilding effort is a future top-line center in Malhotra. He began the season on Brantford's top line while some of their older players were at NHL training camps. The thought was he would slide down the lineup when those players came back, but it never happened; Malhotra earned his spot in the top six and on the top power play, and then was a dominant presence in the OHL playoffs. That Caleb's father, Manny Malhotra, is the Canucks coach likely didn't enter into the Vancouver decision; big, smart, skilled centers are what teams build championships around, and that's the profile for Malhotra.

● NHL.com Caleb Malhotra 'literally dreamed about' getting drafted by Canucks 

● NHL.com Caleb Malhotra talks with Jameson Coyle 

● NHL.com Pre-draft day interview (video)

● FloHockey.tv Canucks select Malhotra No. 3

Malhotra becomes the seventh Terrier drafted in the top 5 of an NHL draft, joining Macklin Celebrini (#1,2024), Brady Tkachuk (#4, 2018), Jack Eichel (#2, 2015), Ryan Whitney (#5, 2002), Rick DiPietro (#1, 2000) and Scott Lachance (#4, 1991).    

A moment Tynan will never forget!
pic.twitter.com/5K8swygwIQ

— BU Men's Hockey (@TerrierHockey) June 27, 2026  

Lawrence joined BU at mid-season last year after leading USHL Muskegon to the 2025 Clark Cup title as playoff MVP and putting up 17 points in 13 games for the Lumberjack last fall. 

“You just saw him get better and better. The production wasn’t there to start, but you still saw a lot of the things that make him a really good hockey player; just his relentless effort and motor, creating turnovers with a good stick, his pace,” Coach Jay Pandolfo told The Athletic. “And I thought in the last 3-4 games he played for us that he was arguably our best forward.” 

By the end of it, Pandolfo also had him killing penalties, and he averaged 17:28 per game. 

Tynan Lawrence went to Jake Allen's mini camps and already had "a few Blues things in his bedroom."

Check out this one-on-one interview with the Blues' No. 11 overall pick. #stlblues #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/JC1eWfaSMo

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) June 27, 2026

Full circle moment for Tynan Lawrence 💙 #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/0qYMfiQU4L

— NHL (@NHL) June 27, 2026

NHL.com report 

As one of the most complete and competitive forwards available in the draft, Lawrence (6-foot, 183 pounds) is a player whose game is defined as much by pace and intelligence as by production. The 17-year-old began the season with 17 points (10 goals, seven assists) in 13 games as captain of Muskegon of the United States Hockey League. He made the move to NCAA hockey Jan. 8, and had seven points (two goals, five assists) and 35 shots on goal in 18 games. His combination of skating, intelligence and competitive edge make him special, and his game already resembles what NHL teams look for in high-leverage moments.

NHL.com analysis: With the first of four first-round picks, the Blues fill a need at center with Lawrence. He got solid experience playing half a season of NCAA hockey, and he'll be even better when he plays an entire season at BU next season. He's a dynamic presence with a 200-foot game, who knows how to use his speed to back up defenders. The Blues could have a franchise-altering weekend in Buffalo, and Lawrence is a nice first step in that process.

● thehockeywriters.com Blues Draft Tynan Lawrence 11th Overall

BU has had at least 1 player selected within the first two rounds in each of the last 12 NHL drafts and have had a player selected in the 1st round for the 4th straight draft

— BU Hockey Stats (@BUHockeyStats) June 26, 2026

The draft concludes Saturday with televised coverage on NHL Network. Look for incoming freshmen Xavier Villeneuve and Niklas Aaram Olsen to be early day two selections. 

 

Draft Day; Former Terriers on the move

 

 

The 2026 NHL Entry Draft begins tonight with first-round selections to be announced. Live coverage is on ESPN and ESPN+. Centers Tynan Lawrence and Caleb Malhotra are certain to hear there names called; possibly Xavier Villeneuve and Niklas Aaram-Olsen, too.

In a USCHO Draft Preview video, Head Coach Jay Pandolfo looks at Lawrence’s half-season as a Terrier and looks ahead to his first full campaign.

   

 

  

McKeen's Hockey takes a deep dive--with video--into Malhotra, who is considered the top center available in this year's draft, and who might be selected at #3 by Vancouver, who just named his father, Manny Malhotra, as its new head coach, or at #5 the Rangers who made Manny the seventh overall selection in 1998.

Given his impressive in-season progression and transformation, Malhotra presents as both a high floor and high ceiling option to teams. At the very least, he’s going to be an elite level third line center who can provide secondary offense and top notch penalty killing ability. Best case, he’s an all situations top line pivot who can be an anchor for his team. 

● McKeen's Hockey 2026 NHL DRAFT: DETAILED SCOUTING REPORT – Caleb Malhotra, C, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)

►►The Athletic's Scott Wheeler's final pre-draft post offered some thoughts on two future Terriers.

I don’t think Xavier Villeneuve goes in the first round, but I do think Tommy Bleyl does. Villeneuve will go early on Day 2 and interviewed well at the combine, but I get the sense teams are too wary of his defending to take him in Round 1.

Boston University head coach Jay Pandolfo on Caleb Malhotra: I’ve watched most of his playoff games, and you can still see that the strength portion for him will show up more at this level than it does in the OHL, but his sense and everything that goes along with it, he’s just a player. He’s actually fun to watch.

OHL general manager on Caleb Malhotra: I like him. Super smart, super skilled, I think he’s going to need a little more time than people think. And that team had a lot around him. But all of these guys need time. He just continued to get better, though, too.

● Daily Faceoff Final Ranking Top 130 

● ESPN Final Top Prospect Projections   (Malhotra #8, Villeneuve #15, Lawrence #17. #40 Aaram-Olsen, #61 Luke Schairer, 

● FloHockey Final Mock Draft 

Looking back

Jordan Greenway has been traded from Buffalo to Chicago in a deal that gives the Sabres the #4 pick in tomorrow’s NHL Entry Draft. As a result, the Blackhawks might have five Terriers among the 22 rostered players. He’ll join blueline mainstay Alex Vlasic, Ryan Greene, who is coming off a strong rookie season, and Sacha Boisvert, who made several starts after BU’s season ended. The fifth Terrier would be Drew Commesso who picked up his first NHL win—and first shutout. He’s expected to challenge for the #2 goaltending spot on the Blackhawks this fall.

Greenway, who was the co-points-leader on BU’s 2018 Hockey East championship, had begun his pro career with Minnesota who drafted him in the second round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

Another former BU power forward, Luke Tuch, was traded to Columbus by Montreal. Tuch has spent the past three seasons in the AHL with Laval. He scored BU’s only goal in the 2-1 OT loss to Denver in the 2023 Frozen Four semifinal.

  

Who are the 26 Terriers who played in the NHL last season? Eighteen were in the NHL either all or virtually all season:

Macklin Celebrini - San Jose, Charlie Coyle – Columbus, Jack Eichel – Vegas, Dante Fabbro – Columbus, Joel Farabee – Calgary, Ryan Greene - Chicago, Jordan Greenway – Buffalo, A.J. Greer – Florida, Matt Grzelcyk – Chicago, Lane Hutson - Montreal, Clayton Keller – Utah, Charlie McAvoy – Boston, Jake Oettinger – Dallas, Evan Rodrigues – Florida, Brady Tkachuk – Ottawa, Alex Vlasic - Chicago, Tom Willander-Vancouver, Trevor Zegras – Philadelphia

Eight others each played a handful of NHL games: 

Domenick Fensore-Carolina, Quinn Hutson-Edmonton, Drew Commesso- Chicago, Cole Hutson-Washington, Sacha Boisvert-Chicago, Cam Crotty-Ottawa, Wilmer Skoog – Florida, Shane Lachance - NJ.