Oliver Suvanto got on the ice with Aleksander Barkov

to the Washington Capitals the Finnish promise reserved with number 18 Oliver Suvanto17, announced several times at the booking event that he was modeled after the Florida Panthers superstar From Aleksander Barkov.

This spring, Suvanto got on the ice with his idol. The two trained a couple of times together before Barkov headed to the World Championships.

“It was incredible to see how good he is. How he handles the puck, how he takes it over. Passes, shoots. Amazing,” Suvanto said in Buffalo, his eyes shining.

“I tried to learn everything possible from him.”

Barkov and Suvanto resemble each other in their playing style. Both are big and reliable centers, although Barkov’s attacking skills are in a class of their own.

Barkov tried to teach Suvanno little things that could be useful in the future.

“We practiced beginnings. I learned a couple of new things,” Suvanto reveals.

In addition, the duo practiced taking possession of the puck on the knuckle side. It’s an important skill in the NHL, where passes are harder and space is less.

“Barkov has been my idol for years. It was great to get tips from him,” says Suvanto.

Backwater scored 11 (2+9) points in 48 games last season in Tappara.

“Overall, I played a positive season. I made a lot of progress in playing two directions,” Suvanto analyzed.

“In the future, I want to be an even bigger threat on the offensive end. That is my biggest development target.”

Capitals assistant GM Ross Mahoney was of the opinion that Suvanno has more attacking skills than many estimate.

“People get confused when we booked a Finn. They say we never book Finns,” Mahoney laughed.

Backwater is of the opinion that he is not ready for the NHL yet.

“Playing in the men’s league certainly helped me a lot, but I’m still not ready,” he says.

“I need to get stronger and improve my skating. And I want to be a two-way forward, not just a defensive center.”