Oliver Suvanto — 2026 NHL Draft Profile

He is also able to get into great positions with the puck to find opportunities on the forecheck. He’s shown the ability to move the puck past defensive sticks for great assists, especially with passes off the half-wall. He’ll need to improve his passing into the slot, in the middle of the ice, and choosing the right pass vs. the flashy one.

Around the net, Suvanto has shown comfort operating in traffic. He’s good at reacting to loose pucks near the slot or paint, and he has enough finesse to handle the puck once he gets it. He also showed good awareness, dishing out the puck to open skaters when the finishing lane isn’t there. He’s not one to create a ton of scoring opportunities, however. He doesn’t shoot as much as some centers in this class, and he might be relegated to being a net-front presence.

His physicality is hot and cold, too. He had some moments of very good physical play, but some games were better than others. He’s not out there trying to be a high-speed, high-intensity forechecker, but he uses his physicality adequately. He might need to get a little stronger to reach his untapped potential here, but at 17 years old, he has plenty of time to do it.

Suvanto does well to stay low towards the net to help his defensemen. He applies smart pressure to move skaters out of the slot into less dangerous opportunities. However, his long stride mechanics limit his explosiveness toward pressure, which factors into his hot-and-cold physicality.

Suvanto could be the first first-round pick out of Tappara Tampere since Patrik Laine in 2016. He’ll be one of three teammates (Juho Piiparinen, Vilho Vanhalato) vying for draft position in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Other THW Draft Profiles

• Malte Gustafsson
• Juho Piiparinen
• Vilho Vanhatalo

NHL Draft Projection

Suvanto projects as a mid-to-late first-rounder. NHL.com’s 2026 Mock Draft has him being selected either 11th by the Nashville Predators or 14th by the Washington Capitals, and in a draft that is somewhat shallow at center, Suvanto could overshoot his pre-draft rankings.

Quotables

“He represents a “coach’s dream” archetype. A player who prioritizes winning the shift over personal flair. With his blend of physical dominance and defensive maturity, he is poised to become a staple in a professional lineup, offering the kind of versatile, stabilizing influence that is essential for success in modern, high-stakes hockey.” – Jeremy Rivet, McKeen’s HockeyDraft Blog

“What immediately sticks out about Suvanto, and is the main reason why he is already trusted to play second-line minutes in a high-end pro league, is that he is defensively skilled. Suvanto excels as an on-puck defender. He uses his stick really well to knock the puck away and his frame to separate attackers from the puck.” – Aidan Carlson, Substack

Strengths

• Already super confident in his own zone. Plays extremely well in structure and helps the defenseman by playing so well down low.
• Very skilled with the puck for a player his size. Can make great passes off the half-wall.
• Good at calling for pressure and shrugging it off when he has the puck.
• Exceptionally young for this class and already has good enough reach, size, and resiliency to be a great defensive center.

Under Construction/Improvements

• Lacks explosiveness due to long strides in the defensive zone sometimes.
• Simplistic playmaking is adequate, but lags behind others in the class.
• Very low-scoring chance generator.
• Needs to play with more consistent energy in the shutdown role.

NHL Potential/Comparison

Suvanto has the defensive abilities to make the NHL. He profiles well as a middle-six center that provides shutdown coverage, although he probably won’t generate as many scoring opportunities as a typical second-line center would.

Suvanto is comparable to Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell. The 6-foot-1, 196-pound center is a few pounds lighter than Suvanto, but Lundell plays a similar game to the one Suvanto is projecting. Lundell is a demon in his own zone, with a positive plus/minus in every season but this past one. Both play well in structure in their own zone. Suvanto should be very good in faceoffs, too, similar to Lundell.

Risk/Reward Analysis

Risk: 2/5, Reward: 4/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense: 4/10, Defense: 8/10

Awards and Achievements

Suvanto is one of the few skaters to advance to Liiga before turning 17, alongside Aleksander Barkov, Laine, and Kaapo Kakko. He won a bronze medal in the Winter Youth Olympics and represented Team Finland at the 2025 Hlinsky-Gretzky Cup, where they finished fourth.

Interviews and Links

• IIHF Hockey: Oliver Suvanto is keeping his focus on the things he can control (TikTok)
• TheHockeyWriters: Top 3 Finnish Skaters on the NHL Central Scouting 2026 Draft Board
• McKeen’s Hockey: Select 2026 NHL DRAFT: DETAILED SCOUTING REPORT – Oliver Suvanto, C, Tappara (Liiga)

Videos