The 2026 NHL Draft has now come and gone and with less than four days to go until free agency officially opens at Noon on July 1, the Washington Capitals made four trades in the lead-up and selected four players in this year’s draft.

The trades shook up the Capitals top six, while sending out a few former and current Bears along the way. As I did last year, let’s go through the trades and picks as NHL Draft week comes to a close.

Capitals Acquire Tuch, Kyrou, Send Away Former Bears McMichael and Lapierre, Plus Current Bear Gastrin

Washington made four trades in a 48-hour timespan leading up to the draft. Starting on June 23, the Capitals made their first of two major moves to improve their top six forward group.

In a trade with St. Louis, the Capitals acquired RW Jordan Kyrou for the RFA rights of LW Connor McMichael, C Milton Gastrin and the 16th pick in the 2026 NHL draft. It was a steep price to pay, but Kyrou has long been linked with the Capitals and the scheme fits works.

For Bears fans, they see a former fan favorite and member of the 2023 Calder Cup championship team in Connor McMichael leave the organization, as well as promising Swedish center Milton Gastrin, who made one appearance for Hershey during the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs.

Gastrin was rumored to be on the edge of a loan back to Sweden with Brynäs IF for the 26-27 season or staying with the Bears. Either way, that’s a move that does strike down the Bears center depth for next season, especially with Ilya Protas likely moving on to the main club.

Barely 24 hours later, the Capitals would make another big trade. They sent a 2027 third round pick and the UFA rights of center David Kampf to Buffalo for right wing Alex Tuch. This was a sign-and-trade move, as the Sabres signed Tuch to an eight-year, $10.5 million AAV contract before sending him to Washington.

Then the Capitals made two trades on June 25 sending out players for draft picks. They first sent former Bear and 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs MVP Hendrix Lapierre to Pittsburgh for a 2027 third round pick and a 2028 fifth round pick. Later in the day, they would then trade away Declan Chisholm to the New Jersey Devils for a 2027 fourth round pick.

All in all, this does leave Washington’s current depth at the center position a little strained across the organization- meaning the Capitals need to address that during free agency.

The Draft Picks

• Oliver Suvanto, C, Tappara, 18th Overall: Capitals management was very clear in their pre-draft press conference that they were targeting either a center or a RHD with their first round pick. Those two spots are the positions with the greatest organizational need right now, and the Capitals took the big 6’3″, 17-year-old out of Finland. Suvanto is the first Finnish player taken by the Capitals since they drafted Oskar Osala in 2006. Yes, it has indeed been that long. Suvanto has some concerns regarding offensive upside, but impressed scouts by playing the entire season as a 17-year-old in the Finnish top division and his defensive responsibility. His skating will also need to be improved on, but the Capitals have done very well in recent years turning bad skaters into solid skaters with the work Wendy Marco does on the development team. Suvanto, being the Capitals only pick in the first three rounds this season, could see time in Hershey as early as the 2027-28 season, as Washington will let him take another step in Finland before bringing him over to the United States.
• Tyus Sparks, C, Spokane Chiefs, 101st Overall: Washington traded up to get Sparks, dealing their 2026 fourth and the 2028 fifth rounder they acquired in the Hendrix Lapierre trade to Columbus to move up 11 spots. Sparks best attribute is his skating, with his speed being key to most of his offensive opportunities. He was a near PPG player this past year in the WHL, splitting time between the Vancouver Giants and Spokane Chiefs. Sparks is also one of the rare players to have been born in the state of Idaho and get drafted to the NHL. A player born in Idaho hasn’t played in the NHL since the 57-58 season. Sparks seems set for now to return to Spokane for next season, though he could sign with a college team as well. Whether Sparks decides to go to college or sign his entry-level deal with Washington is key to when he would arrive in Hershey. If he does sign his entry-level deal, it is not impossible for him to become a Bear by the 2027-28 season, while a college career would see him wait longer before turning pro.
• Brian McFadden, RHD, Thayer Academy, 144th Overall: This is the low-risk, high-reward pick of the draft for Washington. McFadden spent this last season at Thayer Academy and stands at a massive 6’5″. If he develops well, McFadden could very well end up being one of the late round steals of this draft, especially as a right-handed shooting defensemen. He is committed to Northeastern University, but won’t head there until 2027-28 at earliest it seems. I was not able to get clarity in my quick Google search on whether he plans to return to Thayer for the 26-27 season or go elsewhere. His development will take time though, and I wouldn’t expect to see him in Hershey until the 2028-29 season at minimum.
• Logan Stuart, C, USNTDP, 208th Overall: Stuart is the son of former NHL defenseman Brad Stuart, who ended up playing over 1,000 NHL games in his career. His son Logan is a forward who spent this last season with the USNTDP. A bit undersized at only 5’11, Stuart’s future may see a shift to the wing, though much of his development curve will be told next season, as he plans to suit up for Lethbridge Hurricanes of the WHL. A pass-first center, Stuart, just like any 7th round pick, will have a long way to go to even get a chance at the NHL, but as a son of a former NHL player, he will have lots of advice on how to get there.