Coming in at ninth overall for the 2026-27 Edmonton Oilers prospect list, Finnish forward Viljami Marjala. He follows the 10th ranked Oilers prospect, forward Quinn Hutson.
The 23 year old, Marjala was originally drafted by the Buffalo Sabres with the 159th overall pick in the fifth round at the 2021 NHL Draft. Following his draft year, he spent the next four seasons split between the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (Now, Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League) and the TPS system in the Finnish U20 level and men's Liiga.
After progressing up the ranks in Finland and showing linear progression in his numbers year-over-year, Marjala ended the 2024-25 season with a career high scoring 52 points (eight goals, 44 assists) in 54 games. Following those four seasons, the Sabres allowed his rights to expire in 2025, making him an unrestricted free agent and allowing the Oilers to sign him to a two-year entry level contract.
After signing his ELC, Marjala spent last season with the Oilers' American Hockey League affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. He put together an impressive rookie campaign, scoring 17 goals and 43 assists for 60 points in 72 games played. This put him third in team scoring and second in assists. Leaguewide, Marjala ranked tied for fourth in U-23 scoring, putting him alongside legitimate NHL prospects like Filip Bystedt and Andrew Cristall.
Marjala's future
Looking ahead, Marjala is expected to spend another season in the AHL with the Condors where he will likely be one of their top players again. If he can play at a high level once again and possibly even show further progression, he could find himself as a call-up option for the Oilers.
Although some may not put much stock into him as a prospect, given that general manager Stan Bowman has shown belief in fellow prospects such as Josh Samanski and Hutson. Along with recent signings like Aku Raty and Eduards Tralmarks, Marjala could be given a chance sooner or later.
Entering the final season of his deal, Marjala has a lot to prove and will need to continue to maintain relevance as a prospect if he hopes to keep his NHL aspirations. Especially with his age and relative positioning in the pool, projecting ahead it seems just as likely that he plays NHL games as he is outside the organization this time next year.
Marjala's NHL projection
Marjala the player is a playmaking winger who has an impressive offensive toolkit, especially given his pedigree or lack thereof. He has slippery hands and feet with the ability to thread the needle and create plays with the puck.
If Marjala is able to find his way into NHL action, there is the potential for him to have an impact. His offensive potential, specifically as a playmaker is intriguing and could see him utilized as a secondary offensive play driver. In the same breath, his offensive skillset could see his potential ceiling put him higher up the lineup if given a real shot.
Assessing his potential at the NHL level, Marjala is a top-nine playmaking winger, likely landing as more of a middle-six scorer. However, the likelihood that he hits this potential appears slim at this point and he most likely becomes more of a call-up option or NHL tweener.
Although Marjala may not have the draft pedigree or the hype that others carry, he has shown time and time again that he can produce at every level he plays at. This alone makes him an intriguing prospect for the Oilers, especially when the club lacks true high end difference makers in their pool. This is why he ranks in the top 10 in this pool but his lack of NHL certainty puts him at ninth.
Add us as a preferred source on Google