Oilers sign Maxim Berezkin to entry-level contract

A talented scorer in the European ranks is coming to North America.

On …, the Edmonton Oilers announced that the team has signed forward Maxim Berezkin to a one-year, entry-level contract.

Berezkin was only able to sign a one-year, entry-level deal because of his age. The 24-year-old was originally taken by the Oilers in the fifth round, 138th overall, of the 2020 NHL Draft. He was drafted during a promising junior career with Loko Yaroslavl, which included an MHL championship during the 2018-19 campaign. He has become one of Edmonton’s dark horse prospects over the past few seasons thanks to his play with the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Kontinental Hockey League.

After splitting time between the junior Loko team and the KHL squad, Berezkin became a full-time player with the big Yaroslavl club during the 2022-23 season, and has grown into a solid scorer ever since. The Chita, Russia native has posted at least 30 points in each of the past three seasons, including a career-high 15 goals and 27 assists for 42 points in 66 games. He added another nine goals and 14 points in 21 playoff contests, helping the Lokomotiv win the Gagarin Cup for the first time in franchise history.

Oilers general manager Stan Bowman stated that the team was working to sign Berezkin after the 2024-25 season, but the deal never materialized.

This year, Berezkin’s production took a slight dip, only scoring seven goals and 25 assists for 32 points in 64 appearances. He added two points in the Lokomotiv’s first-round series against HC Spartak Moscow.

In 306 regular-season KHL games, Berezkin has potted 38 goals and 96 assists for 134 points, with another 37 points in 59 playoff games.

Standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing well over 200 pounds, Berezkin has solid hands and great playmaking ability that make him a dynamic force on the offensive end, and he is certainly strong on the puck as well.