Oilers 2026 Prospect Countdown No. 18: Eemil Vinni

How has Eemil Vinni developed since being drafted by the Edmonton Oilers?

During the 2023-24 season, Vinni logged his most games played with 37 regular-season games, finishing with a 2.72 goals-against average and a .892 save percentage. In seven playoff games, he posted a 3.13 goals-against average and a .867 save percentage. Not eye-popping numbers by any means, but when the Finnish goalie played in international games, he tended to shine.

In three games with the under-19 team, Vinni had a 2.28 goals-against average and a .899 save percentage. Then in five games for the under-20 squad, he posted an outstanding 1.39 goals-against average combined with a .942 save percentage. In the eight international games he played in, Vinni won all eight of them.

Prior to the 2024 NHL Draft, the Oilers’ second-rounder had back surgery, which limited his early season participation in 2024-25. Vinni only played in nine total games spread out through the Finnish under-20 league, one in the Liiga, and one in the Mestis league.

Last year, Vinni was back to regular playing time with 22 games played between two teams. The athletic goalie played in 17 games for JoKP in the Mestis league, posting eight wins and four overtime losses with a 2.79 goals-against average and a .884 save percentage. After a loan to Ketterä to end the season, Vinni stepped up his game. In four regular-season games, the 20-year-old goalie had a 1.23 goals-against average with an incredible .951 save percentage. To top it off, in six playoff games Vinni had a 1.52 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage.

I still think there is an interesting package in the 6-foot-3 netminder and Vinni’s end-of-season numbers support that.

Vinni’s athleticism and skating ability

To start, I could see why Vinni was raved about in the draft community for his athleticism and skating ability. In my viewings, I liked how quick he was able to attack the shooter and use one push to cover post-to-post; his skating helps him cover a ton of ground instantly.

Vinni’s puck tracking and rebound control

Skating and athleticism are the least of my worries with the 187-pound goaltender. My main concern was with his ability to track pucks and control rebounds. I was quite surprised with how consistent Vinni’s rebound control was, as he is able to soak pucks into his body, or if needed, direct pucks to the corners.

Whether with his body or out towards his hands, Vinni is killing plays all the time. The only goals that seemed to get past the 2024 draft pick were on deflections or backdoor passes through his defenders, and sometimes you will just get beat. However, even on deflections, the Finnish goaltender does a good job tracking the puck even after it hits him as you’ll see below.

Watch on a turnover how Vinni tracks the puck, pushes over, stays aggressive, and keeps his feet steady. There have been times in the past where the smooth-skating goalie will over-pursue a shooter, but Vinni has continued to improve in this area.

Eemil Vinni’s 2026-27 projection and NHL timelines

There wasn’t much I found wrong with Vinni’s game.

The raw athleticism is still there, and he continues to improve on his rebound control as well as his tracking of the puck. I haven’t really seen a “bad” goal against in my viewings, but I also found his occasional over-aggressiveness could take himself out of the play if an extra pass were to happen.

This was always a long-term bet with Vinni and it usually is with goalies. Missing a good chunk of the 2024-25 season doesn’t help with his development, but this year appears to be a solid step in the right direction, especially after the move to Ketterä.

What lies ahead is a big year for the Finnish goalie: how can Vinni start the year with a full offseason of training? Can he continue to bring his excellent end-of-season form into the 2026-27 season?

Eemil Vinni doesn’t have to sign a contract until June 2028, but if he can earn that contract, I like his tools. Maybe in the early 2030s he can work his way into some NHL action. 

Top 20 Oilers prospects for 2026-27