Washington Capitals trade up to select forward Tyus Sparks in fourth round of 2026 NHL Draft
RMNB • • sports
Key Points:
- The Washington Capitals traded up in the fourth round of the 2026 NHL Draft, selecting forward Tyus Sparks 101st overall by sending Columbus their 112th pick and San Jose’s 2028 fifth-round pick.
- Sparks, an 18-year-old from Idaho, played the 2025-26 WHL season with the Vancouver Giants and Spokane Chiefs, tallying 65 points in 69 games and leading the Chiefs in points during the regular season.
- NHL Central Scouting ranked Sparks as the 37th-best North American skater; if he reaches the NHL, he would be only the third player born in Idaho to do so, and the first since the 1957-58 season.
- Sparks’ athletic family background includes a father who played football at Boise State and in the CFL, and a mother who was a gymnast; the family traveled extensively to provide him with higher-level competition.
- In media comments, Sparks cited Patrice Bergeron as his favorite player growing up and likened his playing style to Dylan Guenther of the Utah Mammoth.
