The Edmonton Oilers as a team at the draft table have not been afraid to draft Russian hockey players. They have plenty currently in their pool with a long history of many more in recent years.
Heading into the 2026 NHL Draft, the club currently is slated to make their first selection in the second round at 52nd overall. There are plenty of players for the club to choose from, one being Russian player Viktor Fyodorov.
Viktor Fyodorov scouting report
Entering the 2026 NHL Draft cycle, Fyodorov was arguably the top Russian prospect but has now seen a bit of a backslide. This could be due to a number of factors from other players exceeding their expectations to Fyodorov's dip in offensive production. He split time between the Russian top men's league (KHL), second tier pro league (VHL), and junior league (MHL) playing 13 games, 32 games, and 18 games repsectively at each level.
Most notably at the MHL level, Fyodorov saw a dip in his rate of production going from 30 points (13 goals, 17 assists) in 45 games to just 10 (three goals, seven assists) in 18, putting him on pace for just 25 points over the same 45 game span. It is understandable to be a little weary of a player who sees their scoring take a hit year-over-year but given his instability by going up-and-down the various ranks of Russian hockey, it makes some sense. Especially, with his intriguing four points in 13 games with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in the KHL.
In speaking about this, it should also be noted that Fyodorov's skillset is not based around his dynamic offensive abilities. He is a very cerebral player who can make little plays to push play ina positive direction but he also shows a lot of two-way skill.
NHL projection
Fyodorov's blend of smarts and projectable two-way play gives him a relatively safe floor as a bottom-six two-way centre. His flashes of skill give him some higher upside, something that the Oilers can hopefully bank on to develop and become a supplemental piece to their star core players.
Although, the Oilers have not had a ton of luck with Russian prospects in recent times, Fyodorov is still a good bet to make. He currently sits 81st on eliteprospects.com consolidated draft ranking, making him a possible swing with their first selection at 52nd or another one later on.
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