The Washington Capitals selected forward Oliver Suvanto with the 18th overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft on Friday at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.
Suvanto, 17, was ranked first among international centers and third among all international skaters by NHL Central Scouting. The 6’3”, 213-pound center spent the 2025-26 season with Tappara of Liiga (Finland-1), recording 11 points (2g, 9a) in 48 games. Suvanto’s 11 points were the most by a player age 17 or younger playing in Finland’s top professional league last season. Suvanto also appeared in three games with Tappara’s junior team, scoring three goals.
During the 2024-25 season, Suvanto recorded 42 points (11g, 31a) in 42 games with Tappara’s Under-18 team. Suvanto ranked tied for second among all skaters in Finland’s Under-18 league in assists and fifth in points. Suvanto won the Esa Peltonen Award as the league’s top forward, was named a First-Team All-Star, and guided Tappara to a league championship, posting 11 points (4g, 7a) in 13 playoff games.
The Turku, Finland native represented his country at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship and the 2026 IIHF Under-18 World Championship and was named a top-three player on his team at both tournaments. Suvanto scored two goals in seven games at the World Junior Championship, helping Finland reach the bronze medal game, and recorded three points (1g, 2a) in five games at the Under-18 World Championship, tied for the fourth most on his team. Suvanto has also represented Finland at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the 2024 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
Suvanto is the second Finnish player the Capitals have drafted in the first round in franchise history (Miika Elomo, 23rd overall in 1995) and the first Finn taken by Washington since 2006 (Oskar Osala, 4th round, 97th overall). It marks the 18th time the Capitals have selected a center with their first-round pick.
