By Russ Cohen
The Washington Capitals may have gotten one of the best value picks when they selected Tyus Sparks with the 101st overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. He’s from Meridian, Idaho; his father played college football and was the backup quarterback for the BC Lions in the CFL. His sister, Kiari, is a highly-ranked gymnast.
The Capitals moved up 11 spots to take this prospect. He’s a goal scorer. And it’s rare to find one in that round, but it will all depend on how many goals he can score in the NHL someday.
Sparks scores more five-on-five as compared to the power play, but he has that quick shot. I think that was a function of usage in Spokane more than ability. He’s going to score in most situations. In the playoffs, he had a game where he took eight shots on net. He shoots from either side too. I love that.
His shot creates more offense, and he can make a good pass under pressure. I think his defense is pretty good, but it needs some work. He has good awareness for sure, but sometimes he loses puck battles. He’s around the puck quite a bit.
He’s an athlete and comes from a family of athletes. Sparks keeps improving, and he is a wing with a chance to become a 20-goal scorer in the NHL someday. This is a value pick that could be a steal. Time will tell with this one. We are reviewing Metro teams drafts Saturday at 9AM on Hockey Prospect Radio on NHL Network Radio, Sirius XM 91. Check it out.
photo by Mike Augello.
