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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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