The love affair with Russian players never really took flight for the Edmonton Oilers. Despite geographical similarities, the impact players from Russia have landed elsewhere over the last 35 years. Vancouver Canucks fans were dazzled by Pavel Bure’s rocket brilliance, and the Calgary Flames enjoyed Sergei Makarov’s incredible NHL debut season.
The Oilers? Despite devoting a No. 1 pick on Nail Yakupov, there’s no Russian who played for the Oilers with a similar resume to Bure or Makarov. Boris Mironov and Sergei Samsonov were quality players, but didn’t impact the team in the same way.
So, with rumours of Maxim Berezkin signing with the Oilers this spring alive and well, one can understand the average Oilers fan greeting the news with a shrug. Berezkin’s performance over the past two KHL seasons suggests he might make some noise should he come over.
Scouting report
Berezkin is a big man who owns a skill set usually associated with playmaking centres. His size (6-foot-4, 210 pounds) suggests a power forward, and he can raze opposition defencemen and collect the puck routinely. He’s more of a passer than a shooter, as reflected in his numbers (seven goals and 25 assists in 64 KHL games) in 2025-26.
His foot speed is good, and he should be effective playing an NHL “cycle” style. If Berezkin can manage doing that in Edmonton, he might be a solid bookend player with Vasily Podkolzin on the second line with Leon Draisaitl.
The numbers
Over the last two KHL seasons, Berezkin has delivered impressive offence and outscoring. In 2024-25, he averaged 2.4 points per 60, including all game stats (even strength, power play and penalty kill) while scoring 15-27-42 boxcars. His line outscored opponents 42-23 (65 percent goal share) at even strength. For the 2025-26 season, he scored 32 points in 64 games while playing 15:51 per game. He averaged 1.9 points per 60 in those minutes and had an even-strength goal share of 44-25 at even strength (64 percent share). His points per 60 in all game states last season (1.9) compared well among his teammates.
His team, Yaroslavl Lokomotiv, won the Gagarin Cup as KHL champions in both seasons. Berezkin was among the team’s top forwards in both seasons.
The Oilers and Russian players
On May 22, Bob Stauffer tweeted about Berezkin and the possibility he would sign with the Oilers over the summer. Based on numbers and scouting reports, he would appear to be NHL-ready.
For the Oilers, that’s a very important factor. Over the last dozen years or so, the organization has drafted, signed and brought over several Russian players. In each case (specifically Bogdan Yakimov, Ziyat Paigin and Ilya Konovalov), the players showed potential but were shipped out to the AHL Bakersfield Condors. In every case, the player left the organization for Russia and the KHL. Whatever the expectation for these players, playing in the minors was not something they were willing to do over a longer term.
The “one who got away” was Anton Slepyshev, who played over 100 games for the Oilers between 2015 and 2018. He had NHL talent and brought size and skill to the game. He has played in the KHL since leaving North America.
Why now?
The Oilers and Berezkin have waited for several seasons since his draft summer. Now that it looks like a signing is imminent, he may be able to come in and push for an NHL job. Based on the Oilers depth chart, spending time in the AHL is possible. He would have to impress right away.
One of the things general manager Stan Bowman has done since arriving in Edmonton is to increase the size on each wing. It can be deceiving since Matt Savoie is now entrenched on a skill line and Bowman dealt for Ike Howard, but he’s also the GM who brought in Podkolzin, Trent Frederic and Colton Dach (bigger, rugged wingers).
If Berezkin’s speed is good enough for the NHL, and reports are encouraging, then his ability to punish defencemen, extract the puck and then send it to a good place for his team should all count as positives. The adjustment from the KHL style to the NHL’s way of doing business might take a little time, but the concepts aren’t complicated.
The key will be in gaining possession and the ability to pass the puck well and find open ice or go to the front of the net. He’s the kind of rugged winger Oilers fans will appreciate, and if he gets with a skill centre like Draisaitl (a tall order, don’t expect that kind of push out of the gate), then things could go very well.
Opportunity
If he signs, Berezkin could be making a very good career move. The Oilers are investing time and money in Europeans, and players like Josh Samanski serve as proof. Samanski improved from September to April this season and looks like he could land the No. 4 centre job out of camp.
Samanski played in 45 AHL and 21 NHL games during the regular season. That could be the kind of deployment the Oilers land on for Berezkin if he comes over to North America.
The biggest question with all new forwards who arrive at training camp each fall surrounds offence. Berezkin has delivered in the last two seasons, but is more of a passer than a shooter. That isn’t necessarily an easy fit for any of Edmonton’s centres, but it’s possible Berezkin adjusts his game.
Best fit
In terms of style, Berezkin’s ideal spot in the lineup might be on the second line with Draisaitl and Podkolzin. Three big men who can bully opponents with size and strength represent an intriguing combination. The fact that both wingers have some offensive ability, and Draisaitl is one of the NHL’s best centres, makes the idea even more attractive.
Bottom line
If he signs, Berezkin and the Oilers will approach training camp with the same mindset. They both need each other; Berezkin to build a reputation in the NHL and make big money in the years to come, and the Oilers because the prospect cupboard is thin. That’s no insult to Berezkin, though. He looks like a real NHL prospect, and he’s mature enough to take a big run at a job in Edmonton this fall.