Edmonton Oilers October 2026 European prospect update

The Edmonton Oilers cohort of European prospects features a mixed bag of players with some newly drafted, and others having been in the organization for years.

In addition to the age differences between some of the prospects, there are a few who seem to be on their way out of the organization. However, multiple are and should still be considered legitimate NHL prospects.

In total, there are six Oilers prospects currently in Europe. These are easily divided between three playing in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) -- the top Russian league. Then, three playing outside of Russia, playing in Sweden, Switzerland, and Finland.

Oilers Russian prospects

The Oilers have three prospects currently in Russia and frankly at this stage, it feels like two of them are long shots to ever come to North America.

Maxim Beryozkin is a 25 year old powerforward winger playing with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. He was drafted by the Oilers in the fifth round at the 2020 NHL Draft. Since turning pro, Beryozkin has seen the hype surrounding him grow with many speculating that he would sign his entry-level contract with the Oilers this past off-season. That did not happen, instead he signed a two-year extension with Lokomotiv.

This put his NHL future in doubt and to boot, he has had a rough start to the season so far. Beryzokin has played just two games and has been sidelined for over six weeks with an apparent injury. We will have to see what the future holds but as of now, he will continue playing in Yaroslavl.

Next is the late bloomer, Maxim Denezhkin. At 25, Denezhkin is playing in just his third KHL season on a full-time basis with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. He is a diminutive forward, listed at just 5'10 but he has shown some intriguing upside with his point production steadily climbing year-over-year. So far, in 15 games he has scored four goals, five assists for nine points, putting him on pace to reach the 40 point mark, something that would set a new career high.

He is a high energy player who could find some success should he choose to give the NHL a shot. However, like Beryozkin, his contract does not expire until after the 2027-28 season, so it feels unlikely that he chooses to come to North America, at least anytime soon.

Last but certainly not least is the Oilers only European prospect on defence, Nikita Yevseyev. The 22 year old has had a rocky career so far, going from the doghouse with Ak Bars Kazan, something that prompted rumours that he may come to North America. Then, to going on loan with Amur Khabarovsk last season, where he had a breakout, to a return back to Kazan.

Just 17 games into his return, he seems to be getting more opportunities and appears to have regained the trust of his coaches to start the year. He is back to playing what appears to be middle-pairing minutes, reaching nearly 19 minutes a game at times. His current contract is set to expire at the end of this season so his possible NHL future is very much alive.

Oilers prospects playing outside of Russia

Although it is usually not a positive sign, forward Roby Jarventie has started the 2026-27 season in Europe. The Finnish winger is currently playing with HC Ambri-Piotta in the Swiss National League and has been impressive. The 24 year old currently leads his team in scoring with eight goals, 10 assists for 18 points in just 13 games this season.

Jarventie has struggled with injuries and as a result, he has struggled to find his footing in North America. He had plenty of promise when he was a second round pick drafted by the Ottawa Senators in 2020 and his play so far this year shows he may still have some gas left in the tank. Whether he is able to successfully return to the NHL or not remains to be seen but his early play provides a lot of optimism.

Malcom Gastrin was drafted by the Oilers in the third round, 84th overall this past June. As a result, he is likely viewed highly by the Oilers front office and it is easy to see why. Gastrin has nearly pro-ready size at 6'0 174lbs but also shows a lot of offensive creativity and upside, giving him a potentially high ceiling. This season his production has not been up to snuff with MoDo at the U20 level, scoring five goals and three assists for eight points in 13 games, a much slower pace than his 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists) in 24 games last season.

Lastly, the Oilers only goalie currently in Europe, 20 year old goalie Daniel Salonen. The 6'3 southpaw netminder has quietly risen up the ranks amongst the Oilers prospects. He was drafted in the sixth round at the 2025 NHL Draft and despite being a relative unknown, he has moved up consistently. He went from the U20 level to the second-tier men's league the Mestis, and is now in his second year in the Liiga. Last season, he had an .887 save percentage in 30 games with Lukko but this season, he has seen a major improvement to a .921 save percentage in just 12 games.

His strong starts has seen him be rewarded with the starter's crease and as of right now, he is deserving it. Interestingly, his tandem partner is former NHL netminder Antti Raanta, something that should be quite the feather in his cap. He is yet another big potential goalie inside the Oilers robust goalie pipeline.