Berezkin staying in KHL, Oilers search elsewhere
Russian prospect Maxim Berezkin has signed a two-year extension with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, ending speculation he'd join Edmonton.
Maxim Berezkin won't be suiting up for the Edmonton Oilers anytime soon. The Russian prospect the team drafted in 2020 has signed a two-year extension with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in the KHL, ending weeks of speculation he'd make the jump to North America.
Berezkin, 24, just won his second straight Gagarin Cup with the Moscow-based club. Oilers fans had been excited about the possibility of landing him as an inexpensive bottom-six forward, but the veteran forward is staying put — likely for better money and the comfort of a winning team where he's already established.
His production dipped this season, though. After posting 15 goals and 42 points in 2024-25, he managed just 7 goals and 32 points across 64 games this year. That decline may have factored into his decision to stay in the KHL rather than risk an AHL stint while adjusting to the North American game.
The Oilers will have to keep looking for depth up front.