Malhotra’s First Test: Turning Young Canucks Into NHL Players
This is the part of coaching that doesn’t always show up in press conferences or system diagrams, but it ends up mattering just as much as wins and losses. For Manny Malhotra, now behind an NHL bench with the Vancouver Canucks, the real test is already quietly underway—how he handles the team’s young players.
Because this isn’t really about X’s and O’s. It’s about whether young players actually grow into NHL players under him.
Forward Aatu Räty needs to improve his offence.
Start with Aatu Räty, since he’s the most NHL-ready of the group and already has that Abbotsford connection with Malhotra. He has an advantage because there’s already a shared understanding of structure, detail, and what “reliable hockey” actually looks like. As a result, Räty fits that mould pretty naturally. He’s responsible, he understands positioning, and he doesn’t try to cheat the game. But that’s only half the job.
The next step is offence. Malhotra’s goal is to help Räty become more than just a safe centre. Right now, he’s a low-event player who can be trusted in certain situations. The Canucks don’t necessarily need him to become a scorer, but they do need him to push play a little more consistently.
That means quicker first reads, more confidence in transition, and the occasional green light to join the rush rather than always staying underneath it. His production last season— four goals and 14 points in 66 games—sets the baseline. The goal now is simple: raise it without breaking what already works.
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Young defenceman Elias Pettersson is Malhotra’s second challenge.
Elias Pettersson presents a different challenge entirely. His challenge is to build more confidence within the team’s structure. His sophomore year showed flashes, but also moments when he hesitated on reads, in spacing, and on whether to step up or hold. That’s normal for a young defenceman—but the NHL doesn’t give much patience for “normal.”
Malhotra’s job here is to simplify things. Cleaner breakouts. Shorter shifts. Fewer split-second pauses at the blue line. The goal isn’t to reinvent his game; it’s to remove the hesitation so his natural tools can actually show up at game speed.
Newcomer Braeden Cootes is a potential game-changer for the Canucks.
Then there’s Braeden Cootes. He’s still a little further out of the lineup, but already part of the organizational picture for the future. For him, it’s all about building good habits. How can he learn to defend without chasing? How can he better support the puck? Can he survive NHL pace without forcing offence? The goal isn’t complex; it just involves clarity and repetition.
For Malhotra, there’s a common thread between the three youngsters.
All three are different players, with different timelines. Yet, the same coaching assignment lies underneath Malhotra’s task. Can he develop these youngsters without distorting their gifts and skills? Can he hone their instincts while layering structure on top without slowing them down?
That’s what coaching young players looks like in the NHL. It isn’t big speeches. Instead, it’s small adjustments that quietly decide who becomes an NHL player—and who doesn’t.