- Washington signed 18th overall pick Oliver Suvanto to a three-year entry-level contract worth $1.075 million
- The 6-foot-3 Finnish center heads back to Tappara of Liiga for the 2026-27 season
- Read below for Suvanto’s numbers and what the Capitals are getting
The Capitals wrapped up business with their top pick from last month’s draft.
General manager Chris Patrick announced Tuesday that Washington signed forward Oliver Suvanto to a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal carries a $1.075 million cap hit in the NHL and pays $87,500 in the minors.
Here’s the announcement from the team:
Suvanto won’t crack the roster this fall. Washington is loaning the 17-year-old back to Tappara of Liiga, Finland’s top pro league, for another season against grown men.
The center went 18th overall at the draft in Buffalo, the first pick Washington made all weekend. That landed a bit earlier than some projected, since Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis had him 28th on his final board. The Capitals bought into the size and the two-way game anyway.
At 6-foot-3 and 213 pounds, Suvanto already owns a full Liiga season. He posted 11 points on two goals and nine assists across 48 games for Tappara last year, then chipped in on a playoff run that ended with a league championship.
He also skated for Finland at the World Juniors, where he scored twice, and at the Under-18 world championship.
The signing adds to a busy Washington summer that already included a prospect swap with Buffalo.
Suvanto’s entry-level clock doesn’t start until he lands in North America, so the next checkpoint is another winter with Tappara.
