Oilers Prospect Update: Sundin and Yevseyev keep rolling, Beryozkin still struggling to produce

In the next clip, Beryozkin manages to get a primary assist after a great cut to the middle off of a zone entry. Crossing over the “royal road” is crucial for any player to create offence at the highest levels, as that’s when chaos happens. And in general, you want your chances to come from the middle of the ice.

Sure, the points haven’t been there, but Beryozkin is creating a ton of beautiful looks for his teammates. As a bonus clip below, the right-shot forward creates his own chance with an incredible display of skill, making the defender look completely lost. Too bad Beryozkin still can’t find any finish, or this would have been a highlight-reel goal for years.

Albin Sundin – Defence – Timra IK

I still don’t love the defensive side of the 2024 sixth-rounder’s game, but boy, does he ever show some great flashes offensively that make me want to see more of him. Still getting zero power-play time in Timra, Sundin has continued to play a role on the penalty kill. I think the coaching staff either have a different idea of the type of player Sundin is, or they’re trying to develop his defensive game to the max. I’ll be waiting for the day when Sundin gets a shot on the power play.

Since the last update, the Swedish-born defenceman scored another goal and is now up to two on the season. Below is the clip of Sundin’s goal, where he anticipates the defender overplaying the outside and makes a beautiful move to the inside, finishing five-hole.

Sundin also continues to show very well in his own zone with the puck under pressure. In the next clip, the Timra top-pairing defender holds onto the puck for an extra second, allowing his winger to gain the space needed to make a move on the next forechecker and complete the breakout.

It’s not a fancy play, but it takes poise and the willingness to maybe eat a hit right after. There are many instances in his games where the six-foot-two defender allows the play to keep moving in a positive direction due to his poise and confidence in making the right play in the defensive zone. I believe that’s a very valuable and translatable trait. Wingers love when you’re able to find their sticks instead of constantly rimming the puck.

Now that’s not to say Albin doesn’t go for his “crazy play” once a game. In the final clip below, you’ll see him try to create some offence on the blue line and get a little lucky.

Nikita Yevseyev – Defence – Amur

The 2022 sixth-rounder is still eating a ton of minutes for his KHL squad, as Yevseyev continues to average 21:36 of ice time per game. Yevseyev is also up to six points in 14 games now (which puts him tied for third on his team) after gathering an assist on the 15th, snapping his five-game pointless streak. Below is a clip of Yevseyev’s assist on the power play, where he fakes the one-timer and opens up the bumper position for a high-danger chance and goal.

This is the good side of Yevseyev. He makes plays like the one above look easy. Then there are times when he seems completely lost with the puck, consistently going off the glass and out. Below is another clip that shows how the Russian defender can make some of the hard passes look simple and smooth.

This is the frustrating part of Yevseyev’s game. You never know what player is going to come over the boards at any given time. There have been countless moments where he’ll inexplicably ice the puck or miss a pass, and then the next shift, Yevseyev will make an excellent play like the one above. There’s still plenty to like in the minute-muncher’s defensive game, though. Yevseyev continuously closes out quickly and shows off great backward skating posture, where he doesn’t cross his feet. If he could just keep his gap a bit tighter, more consistently, that would be an added benefit.

The Finnish Goalies

Just a quick note on the Finnish goaltenders: Daniel Salonen has now played in 10 games with two shutouts. Salonen has a 2.52 goals-against average, a .883 save percentage, and a 5-3-1 record for his Liiga squad. Antti Raanta is now back in the lineup and will start to eat away at Salonen’s workload.

Eemil Vinni has played in five games at the Mestis level (Finland’s second league), boasting a 3.17 goals-against average and a .869 save percentage, but he does have a 3-1-1 record. The 2024 second-rounder is in a 50/50 split with the other goalie on his team, and it seems like, barring injury, that will be the way it goes moving forward.

That’s all for the weekly overseas prospect update. Still a lot of positive signs from the late-round picks in Europe. It’ll be a happy day in the Oilers prospect community when the dam eventually breaks for Maxim Beryozkin and he pots his first. For now, he just needs to keep playing the right way, and maybe invest in some finishing.