OHL Stock Watch: Caleb Malhotra emerging as 2026 NHL Draft's best centre
The OHL trade deadline has come and gone, and it was an entertaining one.
Over the last two months, NHL-drafted prospects Carter George, Sam O’Reilly, Jared Woolley, Kieron Walton, Kevin He, Tyler Hopkins, Jacob Battaglia, Nathan Villeneuve, Lukas Fischer, David Bedkowski, Haoxi Wang, Gabe Chiarot, and Jakub Fibigr all found new homes for the second half.
In mid-January, the Peterborough Petes played host to the second-annual Connor McDavid Top Prospects Game, where several 2026 NHL Draft-eligibles took their games to new heights. Inter-league games also returned for the first time since 2022-23, as the Ottawa 67’s and Sudbury Wolves played home-and-home series’ against the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques and Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, respectively.
Now, it’s a race to the postseason, and it’s tight at the top of both conferences. The Brantford Bulldogs continue their battle with the 67’s for top spot in the East, while the Windsor Spitfires, Kitchener Rangers, and Flint Firebirds are all within two points of each other in the West.
Stock Rising 📈
Caleb Malhotra, C, Brantford Bulldogs (2026 NHL Draft)
All Caleb Malhotra continues to do is elevate his game. Skyrocketing up our most recent 2026 NHL Draft rankings to seventh overall, he looks to be the best option for NHL teams in a draft class with a dearth of natural centres.
Details power Malhotra’s inside-driven attacks, space creation, and defensive plays, allowing him to play with remarkable efficiency. Pace, which was the biggest question mark at the beginning of the year, has improved in every viewing. He was a star at the OHL Top Prospects Game, and he’s proven to be a versatile, adaptable player with a rotating cast of linemates and roles in Brantford.
As the Bulldogs push for an OHL championship, Malhotra may emerge as one of their unsung heroes in the postseason. There are still a couple of months left in the season before that happens, but he shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon, and he could work his way into top-five conversation with a strong playoffs – if he hasn’t already.
Jack Pridham, RW, Kitchener Rangers (Chicago Blackhawks)
No OHL player has been hotter than Jack Pridham since December 8th. The Chicago Blackhawks prospect has racked up 20 goals and 37 points in 22 games, including six multi-point outings in January. He earned well-deserved Player of the Month honours for his efforts, as he now sits tied-second in league scoring.
Pridham’s decision to push college for another season has paid dividends. He’s always been a versatile, crafty offensive producer with a strong defensive game. While it’s not unexpected for an overager to be dominating at this level, Pridham’s offensive efficiency and reads have improved, and he looks like an even more translatable player now. Blackhawks and Boston Univ. fans should be excited.
Honourable Mentions: Nikita Klepov (2026 NHL Draft), Riley Patterson (Vancouver Canucks), Cole Beaudoin (Utah Mammoth), Kashawn Aitcheson (New York Islanders), Carter George (Los Angeles Kings), Alex Kostov (2026 NHL Draft re-entry), Jean-Christoph Lemieux (2026 NHL Draft), Ryerson Edgar (2027 NHL Draft), Keaton Ardagh (2027 NHL Draft)
Stock Steady ↔️
Chase Reid, D, Soo Greyhounds (2026 NHL Draft)
Holding steady at third overall on our latest NHL Draft ranking, Chase Reid continues to prove he deserves to be considered the top defenceman in the draft class. While his performances at the 2026 World Junior Championship were mixed, he was one of the best players at the OHL Top Prospects Game in January and hit the ground running back in the Soo.
“What else is there to say about Reid at this point? Three assists to cap off a phenomenal outing that saw him activating regularly into the rush and the offensive zone, and leveraging his high-end mobility to get stops… Some ridiculous breakouts as well, manipulating forecheckers… He continues to elevate his game with every viewing. He could be a top-pairing defender in the NHL.” – January 21st, 2026
Just when it looked like Reid’s game was reaching new heights, he sustained an upper-body injury against the Bulldogs in early February. He was ruled out for all games this past week, and his status remains uncertain. He will need to be re-evaluated in the coming days. Hopefully, his injury is not a long-term one. He is an undoubtedly critical part of a Soo team hoping to make a deep playoff run in a difficult Western Conference.
Adam Novotný, LW, Peterborough Petes (2026 NHL Draft)
Adam Novotný may have been the most snake-bitten player at the World Juniors, but he was a huge part of Czechia’s run to the silver medal. His B-game shone when the offence faltered, as Novotný regularly won races to pucks, helped reload and extend possessions on the cycle, created chances off the rush, and brought a ton of defensive value.
Once he got back to the OHL, it didn’t take long for Novotný’s offence to return. He scored in his first game back in Peterborough and has 12 points in 13 games since. In one of the most offensively stifling environments in the OHL, Novotný leads the Petes in scoring with 47 points, and he took his game to new heights at the OHL Top Prospects Game last month.
“What a game from Novotný, his team’s best player… He looked like a top-10 pick in this game. If he can continue to bring this level of play into the second half, he could very well play himself into that conversation.” – January 14th, 2026
Stock Falling 📉
Liam Greentree RW, Windsor Spitfires (New York Rangers)
Thanks to a six-game point streak at the end of January, Liam Greentree’s production has seen an uptick as of late. However, the newly-acquired New York Rangers prospect still has some ground to make up down the stretch, especially as the Spitfires gear up for what is hopefully a long postseason.
While it would have been unlikely for Greentree to replicate his 119-point season without Ilya Protas, his production has fallen significantly. Greentree is on pace for fewer than 70 points this season at the time of writing, which would be over 20 points below his NHL draft year. His playmaking has taken a step back, and he is still not leveraging his physical skills enough to create consistent advantages for himself or his linemates.
It’s not all bad, though. Greentree’s skating has improved this season, with more power bursts in his crossovers and overall stride. It may never be an advantage in the NHL, but he should be able to hold his own there. His defensive work rate is the best it’s ever been, too. Now, Greentree will have to prove in these last couple of months that he is indeed the Rangers’ scoring power winger of their future.
Alessandro Di Iorio & Beckham Edwards, C, Sarnia Sting (2026 NHL Draft)
It’s been an unexpectedly difficult season for the Sarnia Sting, who were expected to take a step forward and be a middle-of-the-pack playoff team. Unfortunately, the Sting are currently ninth in the West, five points back of a playoff spot at the time of writing. They’ve allowed the second-most goals in the league, and have scored the fourth-least.
A lot of things have factored into Sarnia’s struggles, but perhaps the most notable one has been their young stars underperforming. The 2026 NHL Draft-eligible duo of Alessandro Di Iorio and Beckham Edwards, who were expected to be big contributors offensively, have struggled at times this season.
An injury-delayed start to the season didn’t help matters for Di Iorio, the Sting’s captain. And while his production has picked up as of late, with four points in his last five games, he has just nine points since play resumed after Christmas.
Meanwhile, Edwards has just seven points in 18 second-half games, and one point in his last 11, marred by an eight-game pointless streak in the back-half of January. While Edwards is still second in team scoring, it’s a disappointing drop-off for a player who scored 25 goals last year as a rookie.
Both players are on pace for fewer points than their rookie season, which is unideal, to say the least, for both their team and draft stocks. While Di Iorio and Edwards are still talented prospects with impressive two-way games, they will both need to find more offence in the final months to solidify their statuses as second-round picks.
Ryan Roobroeck, LW, Niagara IceDogs (2026 NHL Draft)
Pucks continue to find the back of the net for Ryan Roobroeck, yet his draft stock continues to fall. Once regarded as a top-five pick in the class, he has slipped out of the first round on multiple public NHL draft rankings, including our latest Top 75 ranking.
Roobroeck’s offensive skill has never been in question, but his engagement, pace, and off-puck work rate have been inconsistent this year. While it has improved in recent viewings, it hasn’t happened frequently enough yet, and, as a result, he has been passed by others in this class.
“He remains one of the tougher long-term projections in this class, but his skill level is undeniable. Becoming more of a play driver and consistently impacting his shifts in the second half would ease a lot of concerns, but he still has top-six upside.” – January 14th, 2026
The hope is that Roobroeck will bring those elements more often in the final months of the season. If he’s able to show more play-driving ability, dual-threat creation, and consistent off-puck play, he could be a late-season riser once again.