Oilers Prospect Update: Notes on Ike Howard, Quinn Hutson, Maxim Beryozkin, and more

Early in the season, the right-shot defender has already shown multiple instances of using his outside edges with deception and poise to make plays. If Sundin keeps implementing this, there’s a lot to be excited about.

Timrå’s top-pair defenceman also showed progress on retrievals. In the next clips, Sundin initiates contact (maybe a little chicken wing) and buys himself space; the play goes nowhere, but it’s a good sign.

Sticking with using his body, in the final clip off a turnover, Sundin takes one big backward crossover and leans into his man to deny a zone entry. That’s another step forward. Earlier, he was getting caught transitioning from backward to forward and getting beat.

Overall, it was a quiet game for the Swedish-born defenceman, and he’s still pointless through four games. On the bright side, Sundin is second on Timrå in ice time at 19:40 per game, and I think he’s getting better each outing.

Maxim Beryozkin – Winger – Lokomotiv Yaroslavl

Lokomotiv beat Sochi 5-0 with former NHLer Alexander Radulov netting a hat trick. Maxim Beryozkin played 15:27, registered two shots, and didn’t hit the scoresheet. It was another familiar game from the former fifth-rounder: creating chances for teammates and himself with excellent work on both sides of the puck.

There was a scary moment when Beryozkin was awkwardly hit into the wall, but he was fine and stayed on for the ensuing power play.

The six-foot-four power forward keeps finding teammates in advantageous spots. In one clip below, he makes a pass under pressure along the wall to a streaking forward.

Later, he cuts to the middle and dishes a terrific backhand for a one-timer that was saved. Another strong play under pressure.

He was credited with two shots, but I counted three, all quality. The first came off a power-play entry, where he remains a focal point.

The second was a nice drive from the corner, using the defender as a screen for a low drag shot.

Now this is the chance Beryozkin will want back. No clue how he didn’t score here.

Another day, another good game from the 2020 pick. I’d love to see Beryozkin finally pot that first goal and go on a run. The point totals don’t tell the whole story, but finishing would be a nice boost for his NHL trajectory.

Nikita Yevseyev – Defence – Khabarovsk Amur

Amur lost 3-1 to Dynamo Moscow for their third straight defeat. Nikita Yevseyev continues to log heavy minutes in every situation. Against Dynamo, the sixth-rounder led Amur with 21:50 and was on for a five-on-three goal against and one at even strength; neither was really on him.

As mentioned in the last update, Yevseyev can be hot-and-cold from shift to shift, and this game was similar. In one clip, his gap is too soft, leading to a cross-ice pass and a near-chance.

Later, he shows how well he can hold the blue, with a wide skating base that prevents his feet from crossing up. Note how wide his skating base is, and this is important as it will help him not get his feet crossed up.

In this next clip, Yevseyev closes quickly, steals the puck, and makes the right decision to reverse it to his teammate.

As I said earlier, the Russian left-shot defenceman will have bad moments, like in these two clips, where both of his passes lead to turnovers.

Then Yevseyev will show off a good sequence like this clip below.

Right now, you don’t know which version hops over the boards each shift. Finding consistency is the next step. Overall, Yevseyev is still off to an excellent start, leading Amur at 22:31 per game and playing in all situations.

Ike Howard and Matt Savoie

A couple of favourites to make the big club this fall started their preseason journeys in split-squad action against the Flames. Ike Howard made a slick slip pass to Kasperi Kapanen for an assist in his NHL preseason debut, then scored a beautiful one-timer from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins against the Jets, showcasing his touted finish. Matt Savoie hasn’t hit the scoresheet yet, but the former ninth-overall pick has shown strong defensive responsibility, and the staff is trusting him for defensive-zone work. Both rookies are gaining confidence with the puck; as rosters trim, it’ll be interesting to see how they fare against stiffer competition.

Quinn Hutson

Through two preseason games, the former Boston University standout has a goal and six shots. I don’t see a path to the opening-night roster, but he’s been very impressive offensively. The puck doesn’t die on his stick. He’s constantly finding the next option instead of dead-ending. He has a knack for finishing around the net. The concern remains skating and size; he isn’t a burner and relies heavily on timing. As the pace ramps up, can the timing keep up? We’ll see, but I like how he processes the game.

A solid week in the Oilers’ prospect world. The big names in Europe continue to play major roles, Savoie and Howard look NHL-capable, and others like Hutson are surprising. Next update is Sunday, and we should have a lot more to talk about.