- May 21, 2026
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The Vancouver Canucks have locked up one of their two 2026 first-round draft picks.
On Tuesday, the Canucks announced that they have signed forward Adam Novotny to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Novotny, 18, was selected 24th overall by Vancouver in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. He was the second of the Canucks’ two 2026 first-round picks, as they also selected center Caleb Malhotra with the third overall pick. Malhotra, 18, has yet to sign his entry-level contract.
Novotny spent last season playing for the Peterborough Petes of the Ontatio Hockey League (OHL). He 58 games for Peterborough, he scored 34 goals and added 31 assists for 65 points. He then had just one assists in the Petes’ six postseason games.
In a press release from the Canucks, general manager Ryan Johnson discussed his excitement for Novotny as a prospect.
“Character, compete and a winning mentality, those are three of the things we really appreciate about Adam’s DNA,” said Johnson. “It was a small sample size, but he showed us a lot at our development camp last month in Abbotsford. Besides his strong skating, puck control, and quick release, Adam was relentless in his pursuit of the puck and battled very hard in each drill. A coachable and honest player, his leadership qualities were also noticeable, and you could tell right away how committed he is to try to do thigs the right way. We are very excited to have Adam sign his ELC and we look forward to working with him in the years to come.”
The Czech national was listed as the 17th best player in the 2026 draft by Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis in his final prospect rankings. Ellis noted that “Novotny is a rugged, heavy-playing forward equipped with a solid shot release. While his lack of raw production at the World Juniors was initially surprising, the underlying process was stellar; he consistently navigated into high-danger areas and generated quality chances. Any concerns about his transition to North American ice were quickly erased during a 30-goal rookie campaign, where he easily paced the Peterborough offense. Combine that offensive drive with a highly committed, responsible two-way game, and he projects strongly as a high-impact, top-six power forward at the NHL level – someone in more of the 40-50-point range.”
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On Tuesday, the Canucks announced that they have signed forward Adam Novotny to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Novotny, 18, was selected 24th overall by Vancouver in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. He was the second of the Canucks’ two 2026 first-round picks, as they also selected center Caleb Malhotra with the third overall pick. Malhotra, 18, has yet to sign his entry-level contract.
Novotny spent last season playing for the Peterborough Petes of the Ontatio Hockey League (OHL). He 58 games for Peterborough, he scored 34 goals and added 31 assists for 65 points. He then had just one assists in the Petes’ six postseason games.
In a press release from the Canucks, general manager Ryan Johnson discussed his excitement for Novotny as a prospect.
“Character, compete and a winning mentality, those are three of the things we really appreciate about Adam’s DNA,” said Johnson. “It was a small sample size, but he showed us a lot at our development camp last month in Abbotsford. Besides his strong skating, puck control, and quick release, Adam was relentless in his pursuit of the puck and battled very hard in each drill. A coachable and honest player, his leadership qualities were also noticeable, and you could tell right away how committed he is to try to do thigs the right way. We are very excited to have Adam sign his ELC and we look forward to working with him in the years to come.”
The Czech national was listed as the 17th best player in the 2026 draft by Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis in his final prospect rankings. Ellis noted that “Novotny is a rugged, heavy-playing forward equipped with a solid shot release. While his lack of raw production at the World Juniors was initially surprising, the underlying process was stellar; he consistently navigated into high-danger areas and generated quality chances. Any concerns about his transition to North American ice were quickly erased during a 30-goal rookie campaign, where he easily paced the Peterborough offense. Combine that offensive drive with a highly committed, responsible two-way game, and he projects strongly as a high-impact, top-six power forward at the NHL level – someone in more of the 40-50-point range.”
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