Kicking off the countdown of the Edmonton Oilers top 10 prospects list here at Oil on Whyte, we have the four players that make up the honourable mentions to the list.
The Oilers have made some serious strides to refill their prospect pool even with a lack of draft capital. The gains the team has made have been very real, making multiple trades as well as free agent signings to supplement their pool and hopefully their NHL roster down the road.
This has culminated in pushing some players out of the top 10 list that would have been there as well as adding players here from outside of the organization. The team has been clear with their actions that they want high end performers to come into the organization to not only fill out depth roles but also to supplement their more talented core of players.
Maybe not this season but in the next few years, there will be holes in the Oilers roster that these players can fill and should be given every opportunity to psuh themselves into a spot in the lineup.
Josh Samanski
Josh Samanski is a 23 year old German-born powerforward who plays both centre and left wing, using his large frame (6'5, 201lbs) he is able to break through contact and attack the front of the net. He has spent the past few seasons in the top German league (DEL) with the Straubing Tigers. He has worked his way up the ranks, culminating in a big breakout year last season that saw him score 14 goals and 26 assists for 40 points in 52 games.
He led all under-24 year old players across the entire league in scoring, by an eight point margin. He pushed himself into the conversation as a high end European free agent, likely fielding multiple NHL offers but chose to bring his talents to the Oilers, signing a two-year entry-level contract (ELC) this past spring.
Samanski likely starts the year with the Oilers farm team, the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League (AHL). There he will be able to develop his game to the North American ice but given his style and position, I think he has the chance to fit into the bottom-six starting for the 2026-27 season and could be an NHL call-up option until then.
Nikita Yevseyev
The Oilers selected Nikita Yevseyev in the Sixth round, 190th overall at the 2022 NHL Draft and he has been quietly developing in Russia ever since. He was brought up in the Ak Bars Kazan system up to the top flight KHL where he has spent the majority of the past couple seasons. However, due to reportedly some issues with his role and deployment, he has been loaned to another KHL club, Amur Khabarovsk for this season.
Yevseyev is a 21 year old left-handed blueliner possessing average size at 6'1 187lbs, he plays a relatively low-event game, using his stick to keep opponents to the outside and to break up plays while making strong passes with the puck. He is not going to blow fans away with big hits or contend for the Norris Trophy but should be a dependable defender.
There were rumours that his camp and the Oilers were trying to get him to come to North America this past summer but that never came to fruition. However, his contract is set to expire in 2027, which is believed to be the timeline -- though we have seen players get released in recent years. It is not a bad idea to allow Yevseyev to mature in Russia for a couple more seasons and given his issues with finding a consistent spot in the lineup, it may be best that he stay back home for the time being.
If Yevseyev can hit his potential, I think he could be a dependable third-pairing defenceman who can be relied upon in all three zones, using his passing to start offence while using his active stick to kill opposing offences. I like his chances of making the NHL and whether he comes here next year or the one after, I think the Oilers should wait to bring him over for him to find his footing.
William Nicholl
It was recently announced that William Nicholl is expected to miss upwards of six months of this upcoming season after undergoing 'upper-body surgery'. This is a major blow for the Oilers Seventh round selection 2024, after a breakout year of sorts. The London Knights forward saw his production skyrocket from 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) in 65 games in 2023-24 to scoring 21 goals and 36 assists for 57 points in 66 games in 2024-25.
He is a high energy centre who is able to use his speed and physicality to punish opposing players down low, creating offence by utilizing the high danger areas of the ice. He looked to be a key fixture of the Knights offence this upcoming season with the promotion of multiple high end players like Denver Barkey and Easton Cowan.
The injury is a major blow to a prospect who was set to rise big time in the Oilers prospect ranks, with the potential to place himself on this top 10 list. At the next level, he projects as a bottom-six forward with some secondary scoring ability who could play both the penalty kill and secondary powerplay.
Viljami Marjala
Originally drafted in the Fifth round, 159th overall by the Buffalo Sabres at the 2021 NHL Draft, Viljami Marjala was not signed by the Sabres by the June 1st, 2025 deadline which made him an unrestricted free agent (UFA) and allowed the Oilers to sign him to a two-year ELC. The 22 year old forward has seen his production tick up year-over-year in the Finnish Liiga, capping off this season with an impressive 52 points (eight goals, 44 assists) in 54 games with TPS Turku.
He is a highly skilled playmaker capable of finding teammates in open ice and with the ability to complete passes to them. He has average size at 6'1 176lbs and plays both centre and wing, giving him a level of versatility that could be coveted as he moves up the ranks.
He likely plays this season with the Condors in the AHL, adapting his game to fit the North American pro style. His obvious skill could be an asset in future years and with the team needing to supplement their pool and add genuine skill to compliment their high end pieces, Marjala will likely get a good chance at an NHL job in the coming seasons.