Canucks get draft-day faller with their other first-round pick
It was the first time in 12 years that the Vancouver Canucks made two picks in the first round.
After selecting Caleb Malhotra with the third overall pick, the Canucks stopped the draft-day slide for a big-bodied winger.
With the 24th overall pick, the Canucks selected Adam Novotny. The Czech winger was ranked top-20 on most draft boards, and was the 15th-best prospect on Elite Prospects’ Consolidated Rankings.
According to CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal, Novotny’s OHL GM, Michael Oke, was surprised that the Canucks had a shot at selecting him.
Peterborough GM Michael Oke on Adam Novotny : The #Canucks got a good one, Adam plays with power, he is a shooter, he can score and is versatile and plays the right way and a good 2 way player.
I am surprised he was available where the Canucks got him.— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) June 27, 2026
Oke drafted Novotny to the OHL back in 2024, after he became the youngest player to score a goal in Czechia’s top hockey league, doing so at the age of 15.
Novotny is a 6-foot-1, 205-pound winger who scored 34 goals and 65 points in 58 games for the Peterborough Petes of the OHL last season, leading his team in both goals and points.
However, the 18-year-old had a quiet postseason, with one assist in six games. Novotny experienced more success at the World Juniors, where he was part of a Czech squad that won silver earlier this year.
The Vancouver #Canucks have selected
Adam Novotny with the 24th-Overall pick.He was @eliteprospects #14. This is an amazing selection — he operates with a ridiculous pace and work rate. He's filled out, detailed, and has amazing tools. Top-six upside with certainty. pic.twitter.com/CYdl3zKBwd
— Daniel Gee (@DanielGScouting) June 27, 2026
Perhaps there was a bit of a trend with the Canucks selections of Malhotra and Novotny in the first round on Friday night.
With Malhotra, the Canucks got a 6-foot-2 centre with size, skill, and a 200-foot game. Malhotra is also a guy who said he models his game after Aleksander Barkov.
Ironically, Novotny possesses some similar traits.
He’s really thick, and he’s a powerful skater,” Oke told The Athletic back in January. He’s got strength, he’s got a very good shot, he can move the puck well, and he’s got a lot of details and really good habits when it comes to stick in lanes, blocking shots, and really contributes in all three zones.”
“Those things make him a valuable player in all situations, whether you’re pressing for a goal or defending a lead.”
The Canucks have also shown a tendency to draft high-character players over the past couple of years, and that trend has seemingly continued with Novotny.
“Beyond his performance on the ice, he’s a really good person,” Petes coach Rob Wilson said. “That’s why we named him captain, because we knew he could handle the role and really look out for his teammates.”
As of writing, the Canucks will make eight more draft picks on Saturday, starting with the first pick of the second round, 33rd overall.