Canucks Notebook: Raty, Malhotra, Hermiston, NHL Combine & More – The Hockey Writers – Vancouver Canucks

Welcome back to the Vancouver Canucks Notebook. It has been a whirlwind of a week for a franchise deep in the throes of a massive structural overhaul. New general manager (GM) Ryan Johnson is moving quickly, installing a new vision from the front office down to the bench. With the NHL Scouting Combine wrapping up and the 2026 Draft just weeks away, the blueprint for the future is starting to take shape.

From international triumphs to front-office hirings and high-stakes draft dinner meetings, there is plenty to parse through. Here is a look at the major storylines defining the organization right now.

Aatu Raty Showcases Elite Progression With World Championship Gold

If you were looking for an encouraging sign regarding the organization’s underlying depth, look no further than Finland’s golden run at the 2026 World Championship. Aatu Raty is coming home with a gold medal after Finland defeated Switzerland in a tense, scoreless defensive battle that was finally decided just past the midway mark of overtime.

While Raty did not find his way onto the scoresheet in the gold-medal game, his overall body of work throughout the tournament was highly encouraging. He functioned as a reliable, heavy-minute contributor for the Finns, finishing the tournament with seven points in ten games.

More importantly for his NHL projection, Raty absolutely dominated where games are won and lost: the faceoff circle. In the final alone, he won 15 of his 18 draws — well over an 80 percent success rate. Across the entire tournament, he finished among the top four skaters in faceoff percentage. For a young centre looking to establish himself as a permanent fixture in North America, showing that level of detail, defensive structure, and puck-possession capability against seasoned professionals is a massive developmental step forward.

Manny Malhotra Establishing High Culture Standards for New Coaching Staff

Following the decision to sweep the previous coaching staff out the door, newly appointed head coach Manny Malhotra is tasked with rebuilding a locker room culture that front office executives openly described as fractured. Malhotra, a former Canucks centreman known during his playing days for an impeccable work ethic and defensive intelligence, is not rushing the process of building out his bench.

When discussing what he is actively prioritizing in his search for assistant coaches, Malhotra emphasized human traits over specific tactical resumes. The focus is squarely on teaching capability, elite communication skills, and an authentic desire to be at the rink every single day.

With a roster that will lean heavily on younger players during this rebuilding phase, Malhotra wants coaches who view player development as a passion rather than a chore. The mandate from management is to establish absolute certainty in all three zones, requiring players to become comfortable with a grueling, detail-oriented routine. Malhotra is looking for teaching-first minds who can enforce that accountability while maintaining an open, constructive dialogue with a young roster.

Front Office Overhaul Continues With Hiring of Daren Hermiston

The structural changes are not limited to the coaching staff. Johnson continued his sweeping front-office restructuring by naming Daren Hermiston as the club’s new director of player personnel and player development.

Hermiston is a highly strategic hire who brings a unique perspective to the executive suite. Since 2009, he has operated as an NHLPA-certified player agent, meaning he understands the exact mechanisms of player recruitment, evaluation, and the modern athlete’s mindset. He already has familiarity with the organization, having represented current Canucks forward Arshdeep Bains.

Transitioning an agent into management is a growing trend across the league, as their experience in negotiating and projecting player values provides a distinct advantage. Hermiston, a British Columbia native with a background in business administration, will be given significant authority over how the franchise recruits and refines its young assets. ^{His hiring signals a shift toward a more modern, holistic approach to asset management.}

NHL Combine Highlights the Intricate 3rd-Overall Draft Selection

The biggest talking point of the week centers on the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo, where the front office holds the keys to the future with the third overall selection. For weeks, public consensus assumed the team would draft elite center Caleb Malhotra, who just happens to be the son of the team’s new head coach. The junior Malhotra is a highly coveted, 6-foot-2 two-way centre who excelled in the Ontario Hockey League this past season, profiling exactly like the type of foundational piece the franchise needs.

However, navigating the optics of a father-coach and son-player dynamic in an NHL dressing room can be incredibly complex. Johnson openly noted that the possibility of drafting Caleb was addressed directly with Manny before he was hired, ensuring there was zero hesitation from the family moving forward.

When questioned about the unique situation at the combine, both father and son exhibited the exact type of mature, unfazed mindset that has scouts enamoured with the family’s hockey pedigree. Caleb made it clear he is entirely comfortable with the idea of playing under his father at the next level, drawing on a lifetime of learning how to separate family from the sport.

“[The Canucks] did ask how it would be playing for my dad,” he said. “I mean, it’d be pretty cool to play for him. I haven’t played for him since I was like 12 years old in minor hockey in British Columbia on a spring hockey team. That was the last time I remember him coaching me. It’d be interesting to play for him, for sure.”

Manny echoed that sentiment, calling the planning of unhatched scenarios a “fool’s errand” but emphasizing that a strict boundary already exists in their household. In the Malhotra home, Manny is dad first and a professional coach second, with the kids explicitly deciding whether they are looking for advice from “dad” or “coach” when discussing the game. That established rule has served them well, and both feel fully equipped to transition it to a professional environment if called upon.

Still, the front office is thoroughly exploring alternative avenues to avoid unnecessary pressure. The team raised eyebrows across the league by taking top defensive prospect Chase Reid out to dinner. Reid is widely considered the premier defenceman available in this class. Taking a prospect to a private dinner at the combine is a clear indicator of high organizational interest.

If a team ahead of the Canucks drafts Reid, or if management simply feels a top-pairing defenceman is a safer foundational piece than navigating the Malhotra family dynamic on the bench, the draft board could look very different. Alternatively, if Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg remains on the board, management will have a fascinating decision to make: prioritize that premium skill on the flank, address the positional need down the middle with Malhotra, or take the elite blueliner in Reid.

Constructing the Blueprint for Long-Term Roster Accountability

Ultimately, the individual moves made this week represent larger, interconnected pieces of the same puzzle. Johnson is looking to establish a culture where internal advancement is earned through a rigid attention to detail, and he is bringing in the personnel to support that expectation.

Whether it is Raty validating his projection with a mature performance on the world stage, Hermiston injecting modern player evaluation into the front office, or Malhotra filtering out his coaching staff based on communication standards, the baseline is rising. The upcoming draft will provide this management group with its first massive cornerstone piece on the ice. If the rest of this offseason’s construction is any indication, whoever hears their name called at third overall will be stepping into an environment designed for rigorous structure and long-term stability.

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