The Edmonton Oilers have a number of prospects that are set to play their 2025-26 seasons across the pond, playing in various leagues across the continent of Europe (and technically Asia, too). They are at various stages within their professional hockey careers, with some having been drafted all the way back in 2019.
In total, the Oilers have seven prospects playing in Europe, two in Finland, one in Sweden, one in Czechia, and three in Russia. There is also a variety of positions represented, with two goaltenders, two defensemen, and three forwards.
Eemil Vinni, G
Age:19
Acquired: Drafted - Second Round, 64th overall, 2024
25-26 team: JoKP (Mestis)
I projected that goaltender Eemil Vinni is a prospect who is primed to have a breakout year this upcoming season. It will be well deserved as the Finnish netminder has struggled to stay healthy the past couple seasons, undergoing back surgery before being drafted in 2024.
He played only nine games last season, a milestone he is expected to far surpass this upcoming year and is expected to secure a role at the second tier Mestis level with JoKP. If he can play well, he may be given a few games with HIFK of the Liiga at the top level. in 2023-24, Vinni had a 2.72 goals against average (GAA), .892 save percentage with a 17-9-10 record in 37 games which should work as a baseline for his performance this year.
Looking ahead, Vinni is still likely the clubs top goalie prospect given his skill set and overall potential. If he can spend the next few seasons developing in Finland and work his way up the ranks with a Liiga club, he could come over to North America, at the earliest next season but possibly even a year later.
For now, the season is set to start next month and he should be focused on the year ahead and getting his career back on track. Vinni is still quite young and the main thing to remember with all development, especially with netminders is patience.
Daniel Salonen, G
Age:19
Acquired: Drafted - Sixth Round, 191st Overall, 2025 NHL Draft
25-26 team: Lukko (Liiga)
Daniel Salonen is an always intriguing southpaw netminder with modern size (6'3, 185lbs) who was drafted by the Oilers this past June. He was drafted as an overager and is actually a December, 2005 birthdate making him almost 20. He was drafted after a standout year at the U20 SM-Sarja level, the top junior rank in Finland.
Through 25 games with Lukko's U20 team, he held a 23-1-0 with a 1.55 GAA and .933 save percentage. He had an impressive showing in the postseason as well, with a .911 save percentage and a 9-2-0 record in 11 games. He received a short eight game stint on loan with Hokki of the Mestis league, putting together a decent showing with a 4-3-1 record and a 2,53 GAA and .909 save percentage.
He is expected to start the season with Lukko in the top flight Liiga, which if he does will be a good way to determine where he is at in his development curve. If he is not ready, he will likely find himself down with a Mestis club, potentially on another loan agreement. Despite being an overager, he still has a good runway and may take a few years but provides the goalie pipeline with some nice depth.
Albin Sundin, RD
Age: 21
Acquired: Drafted - Sixth Round, 183rd Overall, 2024 NHL Draft
25-26 team: Timra IK (SHL)
Albin Sundin -- no relation to Mats -- was drafted as a double overage player at the 2024 NHL Draft. He plays a much more reserved, defensive style of game which explains his lack of production up to this point in his career. Through 53 games at the SHL level, Sundin has scored one lone assist for Frolunda HC back in 2023-24.
Heading into the draft Recruit Scouting Nordic region head scout Alfonso Acevedo said of Sundin that he projects him as a "bottom pairing guy" calling his game at the SHL level "mature" which is high praise for a 20 year old in a top tier professional league like the SHL.
His offense is the area of his game where he would obviously be best served to upgrade, he does not need to become a high end two-way player but adding some offensive element to his game, especially at this level would be beneficial for his NHL projection. Either way, there is a place in the NHL for players like Jani Hakanpaa and players of that sort.
He possesses just slightly above average size at 6'2 and 198lbs which makes his possible projection as a shutdown defenseman a little less set in stone. Most coaches and executives would prefer a bigger body to take up more space and be more physically dominant. At 21, Sundin still has a few more years of development and with the likelihood of a Sixth Rounder playing even a single NHL game, the young Swede is on a decent track.
Maxim Beryozkin, LW/RW
Age: 23
Acquired: Drafted - Fifth Round, 138th Overall, 2020 NHL Draft
25-26 team: Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)
The soon to be 24 year old power forward winger is quite arguably the most interesting player in the entire Oilers prospect pool. Not only is he a tower at 6'4 212lbs but he has been a legitimate KHL forward for a few seasons now, improving his numbers year over year until this past year when he scored 15 goals and 27 assists for 42 points in 66 regular season games. He even potted another 14 points in 21 games, helping his team capture the Gagarin Cup.
He was an instrumental part of Yaroslavl's championship and has been one of Lokomotiv's top scorers, finding himself useful in a variety of roles, using his large frame to forecheck and punish opposing players. He also possesses slick hands and a good brain, allowing him to produce at a good rate in one of the best hockey leagues on the planet.
Looking ahead, Beryozkin re-signed with Lokomotiv on a one-year contract as the team will try to run it back and capture another Gagarin Cup. It is hard to project if or when he will come over but the Oilers seem confident he will join the club next year, after his contract expires with Lokomotiv.
Oilers senior director of Hockey Operations Kalle Larsson said about Beryozkin "It's up to him if he wants to come over and play in the best League in the world or, is he comfortable where he is? I think we have high hopes for him to come over."
Petr Hauser, RW
Age: 21
Acquired: Traded from Boston March 4th, 2025
25-26 team: HC Vitkovice (Czechia)
The New Jersey Devils drafted Petr Hauser in the Fifth Round, 141st Overall at the 2022 NHL Draft. This came after a highly productive season in the Czechia U20 league, scoring 59 points (25 goals, 34 assists) in 41 games as well as a standout performance in the postseason, notching 16 points in 11 games. Hauser also helped Czechia capture a Silver Medal at the 2023 World Juniors, potting three goals and one assist for four points in seven games.
The 6'4 207lbs winger has some interesting tools on his belt, he uses his high octane motor to forecheck hard and challenge opposing players, allowing himself to cause chaos and disruption for opposing defenses. He has struggled to find consistent ice time at the top level in his home country, bouncing around between the first and second tier men's leagues this past season.
Over the past four seasons, Hauser has played a total of 64 games at the top level, scoring 11 points (one goal, 10 assists). In the second tier level, he scored 17 goals and 22 assists for 39 points in 80 games. It is evident that he has struggled at the professional level, which does not bode well for his NHL projection. Hauser will turn 22 next month and will need to take a serious step forward this season and establish himself as a full-time player in the Czech Extraliga, in order to maintain relevance as an NHL prospect.
Nikita Yevseyev, LD
Age: 21
Acquired: Drafted - Sixth Round, 190th Overall, 2022 NHL Draft
25-26 team: Amur Khabarovsk (KHL)
There were rumors earlier this off-season that the Oilers were attempting to sign Nikita Yevseyev, who was drafted in the Sixth round, 190th overall at the 2022 NHL Draft. The 21 year old Russian blueliner has had an up and down career since breaking into the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) as a teenager in 2022-23.
Over the past two seasons in the Ak Bars Kazan system, he has found himself being sent up and down to the second tier VHL and has seen his ice time reduced at times. This has caused some tension and he now finds himself on loan to Amur Khabarovsk, where he will likely be given a much greater opportunity to play meaningful minutes.
There is a high likelihood that both Yevseyev and Beryozkin sign their entry-level deals with the Oilers at the end of this season and are both in North America to start next year. If Yevseyev can take the necessary step forward this year, he could be a very valuable piece of the teams prospect pool, especially on a relatively weak backend.
Maxim Denezhkin, LW
Age:24
Acquired: Drafted - Seventh Round, 193rd overall, 2019 NHL Draft
25-26 team: Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg (KHL)
The 24 year old Maxim Denezhkin has proven throughout his hockey career that he is willing to put in the time and work to grind out a better opportunity for himself. Originally drafted as a seventh rounder in 2019, Denezhkin has been slugging away in Russia going from the junior league, to second tier pro, and finally all the way to the KHL this past year.
He is a smaller player at only 5'10 165lbs but he plays larger than he is, plugging away in the dirty areas of the ice, often times jamming in pucks while he occupies the net front area. If he can find a way to build on his first full KHL season where he scored nine goals and seven assists for 16 points in 57 games, he could push himself higher up the depth chart.
As of right now, he seems to be a longshot to make the NHL some day or even get an ELC. However, Denezhkin is yet another Russian prospect within the Oilers system whose contract is set to expire at the end of the season. He could find himself coming over to North America next summer if everything breaks right.