2025 Edmonton Oilers Prospect Rankings: #3 Maxim Beryozkin

Position	Year Drafted	Highest Ranking	Lowest Ranking	2024 Ranking
Right/Left Wing	5th rd, 138th Ovr, 2020	3rd (3 votes)	6th (one vote)	Unranked

Beryozkin’s development so far

Beryozkin has yet to know what another organization is like. The Russian forward grew up in the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl youth program, played U16, U17, MHL, VHL, and KHL hockey for the organization and its affiliates.

Beryozkin first jumped on NHL scouts radar in his 2019–20 season with the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl MHL team, where he posted 54 points across 51 games, leading to both him getting the attention of the Edmonton Oilers who then drafted him in the fifth round of the 2020 NHL draft.

From there, Beryozkin has slowly worked his way up to the VHL, and the KHL, and despite two slow seasons in 2020–21, and 2021–22, where he posted just four points combined.

In the seasons since Beryozkin has shown significant growth in terms of offensive instincts, skating, and decision making allowing him to become a trusted forward for Head Coach Igor Nikitin. This culminated in the Russian winger winning a KHL championship this past season.

Season	Team	League	Games Played	Goals	Assists	Points
2022-23	Molot Perm	VHL	9	3	3	6
2022-23	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl	KHL	52	7	19	26
2023-24	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl	KHL	62	8	22	30
2024-25	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl	KHL	66	15	27	42

After not signing with the Oilers, and re-upping with Lokomotiv Beryozkin looks to return to the KHL as a central forward for his squad. Additionally this upcoming season Lokomotiv will be coached by the former NHL head coach, Bob Hartley, so perhaps his teachings can unlock even more from the Russian.

Beryozkin’s strengths and weaknesses

Beryozkin plays the game of a power forward mixed with playmaker. His game is highlighted by strong puck skills, a high compete level, and favourable physicality elements.

A large portion of his effective game takes place in the offensive zone, but shows some physical aptitude in all three zones. This combination of hard and soft skill allows him to be an effective top-six forward at the KHL level, and would immediately translate to an NHL role.

Beryozkin’s strengths

Puck skills

One of the most obvious things with Beryozkin’s play style is his quality puck management. This is articulated through above average handling, puck protection, vision, and decision making ability. This puck handling alone will allow him to be some sort of a playmaker at the next level.

In Beryozkin’s 16:11 of TOI this past season, he had 80 puck touches a game, and not for no-reason, as he handles well, displays good space usage, and shows a calmness/poise when under pressure. He rarely rushes decision making, and displays decent enough pressure awareness.

In offensive transition this puck handling showed a good mechanics, through balance, pace, and puck placement. This handling allowed Beryozkin to generate 4.2 offensive zone entries per game. With a solid frame, muscle mass, and handling this further translated into solid puck protection mechanics.

His puck skills also demonstrate his rush instincts too, with frequent quality passes off the rush that generated high speed chances for teammates. This smooth passing ability also hints at overall high quality vision from the young Russian. Overall Beryozkin enjoys a high 88% passing accuracy.

Beryozkin’s smooth passing and good pass selection ability hints at significant growth in playmaking ability this past season. This helps explain his 27 assists on the season, and explains his 2:15 of power play time per game and his 2.3 chances for per game.

In established offensive zone play, Beryozkin plays the role of both net front presence and puck facilitator, which further exemplifies his unique combo of skills. Beryozkin plays this facilitator role well with good puck management, solid cycles, but quite conservative decision making.

Few of the 2001-born forward’s zone plays will will wow an onlooker, but at the same time they won’t raise any questions about his hockey IQ either, as he rarely forces passing plays that aren’t there.

Compete level

Beryozkin’s next most evident charcteristics are his above average compete level. This is displayed through his offensive motor, consistent hustle, and offensive pressure exertion. This compete level establishes consistentcy for every shift Beryozkin takes the ice for.

Beryozkin always looks to be in the right spots, and is always moving, which hints at above average energy, motor, and intensity. In defensive play this motor allows him to display responsible positioning. This motor blends with his overall hustle to benefit his entire game, but is most evident in offensive play.

In offensive transition, Beryozkin shows higher end play engagement through his frequent movement and energy. This eagerness to be part of a play does lead to some premature play cheating, but overall it serves the forward core of Lokomotiv well.

This engagement is also evident in Beryozkin’s consistent offensive pressure generation, as the fifth rounder shows frequent higher end play support elements, particularly as a downlow facilitator. These efforts allow him and his teammates to maximize the offensive pressure on their opponents.

Considering Beryozkin even starts 49% of all his shifts in the offensive zone this motor, hustle, and play support blend together seamlessly to exert offensive pressure, while also generating second chance efforts off of rebounds, and turnovers for the young Russian.

Beryozkin is also no stranger to throwing his body around, and this above average compete level is also communicated through the sheer physical pressure, and physicality absorption that the fifth rounder displays.

Physicality

The Oilers draftee has the physical benefit of a 6’4” frame, and 212 pounds of muscle. A physique that the Russian isn’t scared to throw around. He displays good physical pressure exertion, grit, and muscle. This physicality also best explains why he serves as a net front presence in the offensive zone.

Even in defensive transition Beryozkin shows some efforts to exert defensive pressure with board play play/pins, and even though he only has a 46% winning percentage, that low number largely comes from a lack of support. He shows good body positioning, leverage, and toughness in these board battles.

Additionally Beryozkin shows no hesitancy to throw around a hit on the ice with 0.65 per game, and he has a good hitting power, but does lack some effectiveness in terms of timing.

As a net front presence Beryozkin serves as a capable screen, shows good balance, grit as he relentlessly battles for good positioning with his 64” frame.

Weaknesses of Beryozkin’s game

Beryozkin demonstrates some clear barriers in terms of average skating, and below average senses. The Russian forward has around average shooting.

Skating

It should be stated, that Beryozkin’s skating has improved since last offseason. This being said there are still improvements that can be made, particularly around stride, extension, power, and acceleration.

At the fundamental level Beryozkin’s posture and flection are okay, but his depth of stride is slightly off, which produces a slightly shorter mechanical stride and reduces the effectiveness of his stride recovery.

Additionally the Russian has slightly shorter extension which produces below average power, acceleration, and separation speed. In short, don’t expect the Oiler’s prospect to win any breakaways, or overturn any icing calls.

The Lokomotiv product does have some minor edgework benefits, like slightly predictable lane creation/manipulation, and cutbacks. Skating deception, and route creation is another area that Beryozkin could have significant growth in.

The Oilers draftee wont be a burner, but Beryozkin should be able to keep up with NHL pace at the very least.

Senses

Beryozkin struggles in a couple of areas, particularly instincts/awareness, anticipation, and creativity. These play tendencies hampers his play creation effectiveness both in transition and in zone efforts.

In defensive transition, Beryozkin does show some lane awareness with decent enough stick positioning, but this disappears in defensive zone play. In both defensive and offensive zone plays the big Russian is quite reactive to plays, which hints at poor play anticipation, scanning, and play reading ability.

In both breakouts and offensive zone plays there is limited awareness, as Beryozkin often resorts to the nearest, (albeit decent), pass rather than looking at his options.

This limitation in scanning explains his conservative decision making where Beryozkin proves effective at getting pucks out of pressure he adds little to the danger, or deception of his teams offence. The Oilers draftee needs to find a way to add layers to his offensive (and defensive) instincts.

One stat that best articulates Beryozkin’s limitations in offensive quality is the fact that he has only a 9% conversion rate on his scoring chances despite a 0.37 goals expected. These numbers also articulate his limited finishing.

Shooting

Beryozkin’s shooting looks around average in terms of mechanics, weight transfer, and puck placement. There are major issues around shot selection and lane identification with only 58% accuracy on 3.8 shots per game. He tends to be more of a off the rush shooter with some in-close ability.

Beryozkin’s next steps

With Beryozkin, the key is just maintaining the momentum he’s built up these past couple of seasons. Realistically the KHL forward could have signed and fit in with the Oilers this past season, but decided to stay in Russia on a one-year extension.

If the 6’4” forward loses this momentum with a slow 2025–26 season, the possibility of signing an NHL contract might also disappear. If Beryozkin takes another jump forward the Oilers should be clamouring to sign the bottom-six forward as stable and cheap depth.

This creates the possibility of the KHL product possibly joining the Edmonton Oilers this time next year. It all depends on his performance this year and what the player himself wants at the end of the season. This NHL readiness is one thing that really pushed him up the rankings this season.

NHL ETA: NHL ready

Potential: Bottom-six forward

What do you think of Beryozkin? Do you think he’ll join the Oilers?