The Edmonton Oilers could have a Russian star talent on their hands.

23-year-old Maxim Beryozkin (sometimes spelled as Berezkin), has been a longtime favourite of many Edmonton prospect heads since the team drafted him in the fifth round back in 2020.

The Oilers have approached the prospect in the past, but he doesn’t appear willing to make the jump to North America just yet, as he’s slated to spend another year with the KHL’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl under newly hired former NHL coach Bob Hartley.

A 2025 KHL Gagarin Cup champion, he scored 15 goals and added 27 assists for 42 points in 66 regular season games, while adding nine goals and five assists in 21 playoff games en route to the title.

“He’s had a very good season,” Oilers general manager Stan Bowman said earlier this year. “We’ve

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