Recently, we profiled the Edmonton Oilers top 10 prospects, with two additional honourable mentions. Though the Oilers prospect pool is not among the best of the league, or even the top half, there are still a number of intriguing possibilities from within. The truth is that the Oilers do have more than 12 prospects, and there are a few other prospects worth getting to know. Naturally, these players will not have clear paths to the NHL, at least in the short term. However, if these long shots can stack multiple years of development there is a chance that they can become NHL relevant.
Today we take a look at Nikita Yevseyev, a 20-year-old left shot defenceman. Drafted in the seventh round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, Yevseyev has already outpaced his draft slot. There have been some ups and downs along the way, and Yevseyev is coming off of a tougher season.
Career stats
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts |
| 2020–21 | Almetyevsk Sputnik | MHL | 43 | 3 | 11 | 14 |
| 2021–22 | Kazan Bars | VHL | 37 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 2021–22 | Kazan Irbis | MHL | 14 | 1 | 6 | 7 |
| 2022–23 | Kazan Ak-Bars | KHL | 48 | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| 2022–23 | Kazan Bars | VHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023–24 | Kazan Bars | VHL | 21 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| 2023–24 | Almetyevsk Neftyanik | VHL | 17 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| 2023–24 | Kazan Ak-Bars | KHL | 19 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Clearly, Yevseyev has not been scoring his way up the ranks. In his draft year he was called up to the VHL from the MHL, where he was only producing at 0.5 points per game. Still, it was enough to get Yevseyev drafted, and good enough to see him promoted to the KHL the following season.
The quick promotion was quite promising, as well as the strength of his team as Ak-Bars Kazan went to the Gagarin Cup final. En route Yevseyev played a regular fourth pairing shift, occasionally getting a look at third pairing minutes.
Last season, Yevseyev seemed to backslide, appearing in less than half as many KHL games. He did find more playing time in the VHL, at least. There are not nearly as many eyeballs on the VHL beat, so Yevseyev is out of sight, out of mind for the time being.
While the hope is always that prospects will have a smooth path into prominence, this is rarely the case. How much should an off year impact our long term view of Yevseyev? How much is the perception that his year was bad influenced by how and why KHL icetime is decided? The truth is likely somewhere in between, but it is still impressive that Yevseyev has already played games across two KHL seasons as a 20-year-old.
Player profile
Yevseyev does have some legitimate tools as an NHL prospect. He does have good mobility and agility, when combined with a strong sense of positioning, getting him into his spots on time. He is 6’1″, has a sturdy frame, and is not shy to play a heavy game. He will need to be strong enough to defend to his full potential, skating fast enough to keep up with better players, winning battles along the boards and at the net front.
The best part of his game is his positioning, or even overall awareness in all phases of the game. Yevseyev was stout enough to hold a regular spot on a KHL contender as a 19-year-old, a strong indication that his defensive instincts are wise beyond their years. This does extend to the offensive zone as well, as Yevseyev is willing to pick spots to sneak in off the blueline and towards the net.
While Yevseyev will not be a regular offensive contributor, he does have some ability. It would be especially promising to see greater puck moving prowess breaking out of his own zone. There have been flashes of this, but increased ambition and effectiveness will be a most welcome sight for hopes of an NHL future. Most of this growth comes down to simple support passes that will not always be reflected on the scoresheet.
Next steps with the organization
It is already promising that Yevseyev has played so many KHL games, reasserting himself as a regular option in this league by the season’s end will be a great step. There are rules encouraging KHL teams to let one or two teenage players into their lineups, a fact that may have been steering Yevseyev’s playing time as much as anything else.
Through these optics, the past two seasons have been an internship for the third pairing spot that Yevseyev will be applying for in 2024–25. In the end, what might seem a developmental stagnation might be a sensible way to give Yevseyev the time, space, experience, and icetime required to reach a regular KHL spot as a 20-year-old.
Building out his body will be crucial, as will gaining experience. This gives Yevseyev a relatively safe floor as a prospect. The upside will come via improvements to his breakout passing. There is clearly a solid framework for Yevseyev to build on.
Fit with the Oilers
While the power ranking of sub-NHL leagues around the globe might be up for some debate, the KHL is very much in the conversation as one of the second best leagues in the world. It is likely that Yevseyev would prefer to stay in Russia, trying to forgo the AHL altogether on his path to the NHL. In a sense, where he plays this season might have a huge impact on his decisions though.
If things go well and Yevseyev earns regular KHL ice time we should expect him to sign another KHL contract after this one ends at the end of the 2024–25 season. If things go poorly and Yevseyev feels blocked to KHL icetime, there is a chance he finds a better path in the AHL.
The Oilers will be in no hurry. It is nice that Yevseyev has shown some growth, but he will need to become a top-four defenceman in the KHL or the AHL before an NHL job is on the table. Reasonably, it might take one to three years for Yevseyev to grow into that player, and a potential shot at the NHL two to four years away.
Yevseyev is most definitely worth keeping an eye on, and alongside Max Wanner gives the Oilers two very interesting late round defence prospects. His arrival to the big leagues will not be paved by points, and quite frankly it would be incredibly impressive if he were able to reach the 0.5 points per game mark in that league at any point. Although not the most exciting prospect, if Yevseyev does make it to the NHL he would come at an affordable rate, crucial for the most expensive years of new contracts for Evan Bouchard, Leon Draisaitl, and Connor McDavid.
