Oilers prospect Maxim Beryozkin is making a name for himself while playing for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in the KHL before he makes the jump to North America.
The Edmonton Oilers are hoping that they have the next star player from Russia within their system, and based on his play, their wish could eventually come true.
Forward Maxim Beryozkin, who was taken with the 138th pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, currently plays for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in the KHL and is drawing attention to himself with his on-ice play.
In 66 regular season games, he had 42 points (15G, 27A). He's now playing in the Gagarin Cup Final, and scored his 3rd goal in his last 4 games.
It extended his lead in playoff goal scoring to 9 among all players on the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl roster.
His official scouting report via Elite Prospects reads as follows:
He is one of the very top offensive players on Loko, which makes him worthy of a long look at least. Beryozkin scores with volume and has proficient handling skills. He creates offence by roughing opponents in the offensive zone and taking the puck along the wall. He looks towards his blue-liners like he's going to pass it, then fires it on net.
At 6'4' and 212 pounds, Beryozkin is already a physically imposing force on the ice and has no problem throwing his weight around while going into the dirty areas of the ice to make a play.
With Beryozkin's contract expiring in June the Edmonton Oilers will have a prime opportunity to bring him to North America to begin his NHL career.
It likely won't be long before he'll be competing for a roster spot on the Oilers and could very well be a mainstay on their roster for years to come if things work out the way they're anticipated to.
