We spent some time yesterday talking about another sizable winger option at the top of the class in Ethan Belchetz, and we’re going to keep the spirit of that rolling a little longer as we introduce our newest addition to the Draft Board in Oliver Suvanto, a sizable center out of the Finnish leagues.
A unique case in this draft, Suvanto skipped over the Finnish U20 level completely and jumped straight into a full time role at the top level in Liiga this season. It wasn’t a perfect year, but in combining the size he brings, the new maturity to his game, and his developing finesse game, and there’s an intriguing total package here for a team drafting in the middle of the first round.
Pre-draft rankings
Ranked #28 by Elite Prospects
Ranked #17 by The Athletic (Corey Pronman)
Ranked #14 by TSN (Craig Bukala)
Ranked #26 by Daily Faceoff
Statistics
What’s there to like?
In Suvanto, the immediate standout about him, before even getting to his game, is his frame itself. Though being one of the this year’s youngest prospects, he’s already quite well developed, coming in at 6’3 and 209 pounds. The raw size is certainly there for him, but he’s also learned quickly how to leverage it effectively, having spent this whole past season playing against grown men.
But the sort of immediate image of him that comes with that size element shouldn’t overshadow some of the finesse in his game. He’s a sort of under the radar strong small-area playmaker — he’s shifty despite his size and able to pull around defenders effectively, scans the ice well to find his linemates in the offensive zone, looking for options, and shows a positive lack of panic in his game when he has the puck and has to buzz around and maneuver while play opens up around him. He does tend to draw pressure to him, but he’s able to push off of it with consistency (notable when we recall, of course, that he’s doing this while playing against men at the highest level in Finland).
Suvanto is, on the whole, a really cerebral player, and that props up the rest of his game. His vision of the ice, as we said, is very good, and his anticipation of how play is unfolding around him informs well his off-puck decision making, as he can anticipate play well and engage effectively. His energy here is notable, too — he doesn’t have the same flashy, relentless motor that you’ll find elsewhere at the top of his class, but he plays with good pace off-puck, and that makes him an effective forechecker on the whole. This feeds his playmaking as well, as he’s shown a particular strength for making plays happen up the middle, but it also supports a good defensive foundation to his game.
In the offensive zone, his game is a hard-working one. He’s willing to engage below the goal line and look for offense there, even if it can come with needing to take some more physical punishment. To see that area of his game already so well developed is intriguing, and adds a level of projectability to his game, as this is something that’s certainly going to be expected of him at the North American pro level. His game really isn’t overly flashy, but he’s shown a willingness to attack the middle and attack down low that’s made him really effective up to this point. He’s reading the ice well and working off of body positioning to make a simple, effective pass, rather than a super finesse play off the wall. It doesn’t always produce bonafide highlight reel plays, but it just works.
There’s a lot to like in the game that he’s developed so far, and it bears a repeated emphasis placed on the fact that he’s one of the youngest players in this draft, so there’s a little extra developmental runway in front of him, and if you’re a team that really highly values that sort of thing, that’s another mark in his favor.
What’s not to like?
The main weak point in Suvanto’s complete profile — and we’ll see this pointed to in the scout quotes closing this thing out — is the general low amount offensive production that he’s been able to string together up to this point in Liiga. Suvanto has largely shown himself to be a lower volume creator or chances, and his shot when he is using it is fine but not stellar, and that’s held his production back already, and will continue to hold it back if there isn’t a change in his mindset and approach. He’s doing good work to get to the right areas, he just isn’t making the most of those opportunities.
Along with that, while the simplistic approach to his playmaking game works in some regards and does form a solid foundation for the rest of his game, it’s clear that his offensive instincts broadly are just not especially high-end, and that’s a complete picture that will ultimately cap his offensive potential in the long run. Certainly there are things that a team can do to work with him to coax a bit more out of him, but the runway there isn’t infinite.
How would he fit in the Flyers’ system?
This is a bit of a tricky one. On the one hand, Suvanto in the broadest sense does fall in line with what the Flyers prioritized largely in their last draft (size) and would offer them a boost to their pool of centers in the pipeline, which could indeed still use some further building up, even after some of the additions made over these last couple of years. The center position is still a position of need, and to grab another prospect with projectable NHL upside in the early 20s would be a real win for them.
That said, the stylistic fit might not be as clean as could be. After all, the Flyers already have a couple of young centers in the pipeline with questionable offensive ceilings, and the big question would be whether they really need another one. If Suvanto is really the best player available when the 21st pick rolls around, they shouldn’t dodge him to go for lesser talent, but if more options are spread out before them, we’re inclined to believe there might be a better fit worth pursuing.
Could the Flyers actually get him?
Of course, there’s a good chance that Suvanto isn’t even on the board by the time the Flyers’ pick arrives. Some of these projections do have him going somewhere in the neighborhood of the mid-20s, but given his combination of size and the projectability of his complete game to the NHL, it feels like a safer bet that another team somewhere in the teens decides to take a shot on him and hopes that they can develop him and coax a bit more offense out of him.
What scouts are saying
“Suvanto is a big, strong, driven forward who plays in the middle third and goes to the net. He’s willing to play through and into contact. He skates well enough; once he builds, he can play with power, though he could stand to get a little quicker (in his feet and mind at times). He’s strong on the cycle and the forecheck, winning and then holding pucks along the wall. He’s physical and competitive. He can shoot it. He has good instincts. But the final execution and playmaking just aren’t there, and so a lot of shifts end up in the offensive zone along the wall and below the goal line without finishing plays to go along with it. He’s going to be an NHLer. He’s also one of the youngest players in this class and developed quickly from last year to this year, but he’s also physically mature at an early age, and I’m not sure he’ll benefit from his birthday as much as some others.
Some viewed him as a fringe top-10 candidate earlier this year, and I just couldn’t get there. Now the conversation seems to have come back down to earth. I just don’t see more than bottom-six offense.”
-Scott Wheeler (The Athletic)
“Suvanto spent most of the season playing against men in Tappara, where he has shown he can play a reliable two-way game. Recently, we’ve seen him play heavy minutes with the U-20 squad, and while offense has been tough to come by, he still found ways to impact the game away from the offensive zone. I really like his play away from the puck, and I thought he looked solid at the World Juniors in a variety of roles. I think we’re talking about a big, middle-six guy here, but I want him to find another gear, offensively.”
– Steven Ellis (Daily Faceoff)
We’ll keep the ball rolling here and add another forward — though this time a winger — with some size in Elton Hermansson into the mix.
“Hermansson is a highly skilled winger. He makes a ton of plays through defenders and to his teammates, although he plays a bit selfishly at times. He’s a good skater who can play with pace. Without the puck, he’s just OK and can be pushed to the outside when he does have it. His compete level and inconsistency can be frustrating. He has top-six winger talent, but whether he will get there will depend on him figuring those issues out.”
– Corey Pronman (The Athletic)
