Getting to know the Edmonton Oilers prospects playing in Europe this season

The Edmonton Oilers haven’t been dipping into the European prospect pool very often lately.

Since the 2020 NHL Draft, they have made 31 picks and 12 have been European. Of those 12, three were playing in North America at the time they were drafted. They also have not invested many top picks overseas, with the highest selection being Eemil Vinni at the end of the second round in 2024.

This year, there are five notable prospects to watch who are playing in Europe. Maxim Beryozkin and Nikita Yevseyev in the KHL, Albin Sundin in the SHL, Eemil Vinni in Mestis, and Daniel Salonen in Liiga.

Maxim Beryozkin, RW, 2020 fifth-rounder, 6-foot-4, 212 pounds, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, KHL.

Last season was his fifth straight with 30 or more KHL games, and it was his best by far. He scored 15 goals and added 27 assists for 42 points in 66 games. The big power forward helped Lokomotiv win the Gagarin Cup, where he had nine goals and 14 points in 21 playoff games.

This season the right shot winger should stay on that upward path, with 20 goals and 30 assists within reach. Lokomotiv begins its title defense on September 5. The question with Beryozkin is when he will sign and come to North America so we can see how his game translates to the NHL.

Nikita Yevseyev, LHD, 2022 sixth-rounder, 6-foot-1, 187 pounds, Amur Khabarovsk, KHL.

Ice time has been the issue. He played 38 KHL games last season but averaged only 8:24 per night. In the 2023 24 season, he averaged 10:59, and he has not cracked ten minutes since. That should change. Yevseyev is on loan to Amur Khabarovsk, who finished with eleven wins in 68 games last year.

The Russian-born defenceman has shown flashes as a mobile, offence-minded player. This year, his minutes should jump. If they do not, that will be telling on its own. His season starts September 7.

Albin Sundin, RHD, 2024 sixth-rounder, 6-foot-1, 198 pounds, Timra IK, SHL.

Sundin was drafted as a double overager and is in his age-21 season. Last year, the two-way defenceman played 25 games for Frolunda, who finished third in the regular season. He did not register a point in the SHL, but he had one goal and eight assists in 17 HockeyAllsvenskan games.

This season, the Swedish defenceman is on loan from Frolunda and will play for Timra, who placed sixth in 2024 25. With another year of experience and a somewhat weaker roster, he has a chance to cement himself as an everyday SHL player, though Timra’s blue line is crowded with ten healthy defencemen. The hope for Sundin this year is to play more minutes at the top level. Timra opens on September 13.

Eemil Vinni, G, 2024 second-rounder, 6-foot-3, 187 pounds, JoKP, Mestis.

Vinni is the highest-drafted player in this group. Last year, he played only nine games across Liiga, Mestis, and Finland’s under-20 league. Seven of those came in the U20 league, where he posted a 2.02 goals against average and a .910 save percentage. He had a back procedure before the 2024 draft, which helps explain the limited workload.

This year, Vinni returns to Joensuun Kiekko-Pojat in Mestis for the first time since his draft-year season, when he posted a 2.72 goals against average and a .892 save percentage in 37 games. The target for the young netminder is to start often and push that save percentage north of .900. He might get the team’s opening start on September 12.

Daniel Salonen, G, 2025 sixth-rounder, 6-foot-3, 183 pounds, Lukko, Liiga.

Salonen is an overage, right-catching Finnish goalie who has been in the Lukko system since 2021 22. Last season in the Finnish U20 league, he posted a 1.55 goals against average and a .933 save percentage while winning 23 of 25 games. He also played eight Mestis games with a 2.53 goals against average and a .909 save percentage.

This could be a fascinating year. Salonen is listed on Lukko’s Liiga roster and appears set to back up former NHL goalie Antti Raanta. A handful of Liiga games with respectable numbers while learning behind a veteran would be a strong result.

Next up, we will look at and preview prospects who will play their 2025 26 seasons in the CHL and the NCAA.