Capitals send Oliver Suvanto away for a season after NHL Draft 1st-round pick

Capitals send Oliver Suvanto away for a season after NHL Draft 1st-round pick originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

>The Washington Capitals used the No. 18 overall pick of the 2026 NHL Draft on center Oliver Suvanto.

>He was ranked as the top international center in the draft class by NHL Central Scouting, making him an exciting addition.

>Suvanto won't play with the Capitals for at least a year, though.

>On Friday, the Capitals announced that they're loaning Suvanto to Tappara in Finland's first division for the 2026-27 season.

>Suvanto just signed his three-year entry-level contract this week, but this move wasn't unexpected. He's still just 17. It makes sense to give him more development time in Europe.

>Suvanto just played in Finland's Liiga in 2025-26, and he had 11 points in 48 games. That was the most by any player of his age in the league.

>He's originally from Finland and is a left-shot center who is listed at 6-foot-3 and 207 pounds already.

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>Physically ready for the pros, Suvanto should have a bigger season back in Finland for one more year.

>Suvanto also played in 2026 at the World Junior U-20 Championships. He suited up for seven games and scored a pair of goals.

>He's a crucial pick for Washington because the Capitals didn't have a pick in the second or third rounds of this draft. If someone is going to be a standout from this class for the Caps, it's almost certainly going to have to be Suvanto.

>For now, his next step toward that hope is a return to Finland for another year.

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