Rumours that the Edmonton Oilers were working to sign prospect defenceman Nikita Yevseyev to an entry-level contract ahead of next season appear to be remaining just that.

A report from Elite Prospects had indicated that the two sides were in talks, but Oilersnation’s Jason Gregor reported Wednesday he heard “this will not be happening this off-season.”

Yevseyev came in as Oilersnation’s 20th ranked prospect last summer.

The 21-year-old has split time between the VHL and KHL in Russia since he was drafted, playing 47 VHL games, scoring two goals and 15 points, and 105 KHL games, scoring seven goals and 12 points.

While he may not be coming to North America for next season, there are still questions that remain about where he will play next. After playing 38 games last year for the KHL’s Ak Bars Kazan, he doesn’t have a contract heading into next season. There’s some level of concern there given his young age, the fact that he’s been fighting for ice-time in recent years, and that the KHL season begins in the first week of September.

Reviews from his past season were murky, as opined in the Oilersnation mid-season prospect rankings report, where it was written how questions still remain about the player.

“He’s a good, but not great prospect at this time, so I am uncertain whether the Oilers would make a play to have him come over,” Bruce Curlock wrote. “There is no question he has AHL size, skating and defending ability. However, it is simply too murky to get a strong read on this player at this time.

“The only encouraging sign is that Yevseyev is back playing 10 minutes per night in a 6/7 role with AK Bars in the KHL. The more games he can play down the stretch, the better for Oilers management to get an understanding of this player.”

The Oilers surely aren’t in any rush here, as they do hold Yevseyev’s NHL rights indefinitely. Even beyond that, there’s a logjam of defencemen for the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors heading into next season, with Josh Brown, Alec Regula and Beau Akey set to break in on the right-side, and Riley Stillman, Arto Leppanen and Damien Carfagna filling spots on the left-side.

Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the DFO DFS Report. He can be followed on Twitter, currently known as X, at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.