Washington Capitals select Oliver Suvanto in first round of 2026 NHL Draft
RMNB • • sports
Key Points:
- The Washington Capitals selected Finnish center Oliver Suvanto 18th overall in the 2026 NHL Draft; he is set to return to Tappara in Finland’s Liiga for the 2026-27 season.
- Suvanto, a 6-foot-3, 213-pound forward, played 48 games against men in the 2025-26 season, leading all under-18 players with 11 points, and was named one of Finland’s top three players at the recent World Juniors.
- Ranked third among International skaters by NHL Central Scouting, Suvanto is noted for his two-way play, strong puck battles, and skillful hands, modeling his game after Finnish star Aleksander Barkov.
- This pick ended a 20-year gap since the Capitals last drafted a Finnish player and broke their streak of selecting wingers in the first round for four consecutive years.
