News out of the KHL yesterday indicates that Edmonton Oilers prospect Maxim Beryozkin will be staying in the Russian league indefinitely. The soon-to-be 25-year-old just won his second KHL championship last week with a thrilling overtime winning goal, which in part led to a change of heart as Lokomotiv aims for a third straight Gagarin Cup next season.
Hot off of Lokomotiv’s success, Beryozkin looks to continue his momentum and help create a dynasty for Lokomotiv.
The Beryozkin signing saga
The 6’4” power-forward has been one of the bright spots in a struggling Oilers prospect pool these past couple of years. The Oilers initially drafted the Chita, Russia, product 138th overall, in the fifth round of the 2020 NHL draft. From there, the Lokomotiv forward slowly worked his way up the Russian hockey pyramid earning his first full-time KHL role in the 2022–23 season.
What got the fifth-round pick on lots of fans’ radars is his breakout season last year, where he posted 15 goals and 27 assists across 66 games. We here at the Oil Rig even had the late bloomer ranked as the third-best prospect in the Oilers system last offseason.
Across parts of seven KHL seasons, Beryozkin has appeared in 306 games, with a 0.44 points per game rate. A large portion of his value comes away from the puck, though, as a clear power forward. His game demonstrated clean and clear physicality, smooth puck skills, and hard shooting.
He was projected to fit into a bottom-six depth role in Edmonton. The forward looked to be an NHL-ready complementary play-connector and physical presence, much like Josh Samanski and Connor Clattenburg were this past season.
Most importantly, Beryozkin fits right into the Oilers signing tendencies, targeting older more developed players who can play in the NHL right away.
This marks the second summer in a row that speculation and rumours have circulated that Beryozkin would sign his ELC with the Alberta based club. He signed one-year extension in 2025, and now a two-year extension in 2026.
This KHL rumour was later confirmed to be true by both Beryozkin’s agent and other independent sources.
What soes this mean for the Oilers?
It means that fans and management alike will likely never see the Russian in an Oilers or NHL jersey at all. By the time Beryozkin’s extension expires, he will be approaching 27, which is far from being a prospect. Additionally, his inconsistency and fear of last season being a one-and-done year is no longer a worry for Edmonton’s developmental coaches.
Additionally, this decision by the Russians also has a positive side. Without Beryozkin there will be less of a log-jam in Bakersfield’s top-six, and the Oilers bottom-six. This grants players like Samanski, Roby Jarventie, Quinn Hutson, and Isaac Howard more of an NHL runway and a greater likelihood of suiting up for Edmonton next season.
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He must be a bit soft in the head.