Now that KHL Playoffs are over and @EdmontonOilers prospect Maxim Berezkin is a 2-time Gagarin Cup Champion with Yaroslavl Lokomotiv...don't be surprised if the Oilers sign the 6'4", 212 LB winger. Repped by Dan Milstein
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Oilers prospect Maxim Berezkin wins second Gagarin Cup
May 23, 2026, 11:00 EDTUpdated: May 23, 2026, 12:40 EDT
It appears that the Edmonton Oilers are going to get some forward depth from overseas.
On Thursday, Oilers prospect Maxim Berezkin (also stylized as Maxim Beryozkin or Maksim Berezkin) lifted the Gagarin Cup for the second consecutive season, helping the Kontinental Hockey League’s Yaroslavl Lokomotiv defeat the Kazan Ak Bars in the finals.
It’s been widely speculated for a couple of years that Berezkin would join the Oilers following the 2026-26 season. Standing at 6’4”, 211 lbs, the winger is exactly the type of player the Oilers need in their top nine next season. Despite his size, he’s a solid skater, with good hands, a nice shot, and is physical.
And according to OilersNow host Bob Stauffer, it won’t be surprising if the Oilers sign Berezkin now that the KHL playoffs have wrapped up.
A right-shot winger, Berezkin contributed with five goals and eight points in 22 playoff games, helping Lokomotiv lift just their second Gagarin Cup in franchise history, and the second in as many seasons.
The thing is, Berezkin’s scoring took a step back compared to last season. In 64 games, the Chita, Russian product scored just seven goals and 32 points, down from his 15 goals and 42 points in 66 games in 2024-25. That applied to the playoffs as well, as the 24-year-old scored nine goals and 14 points in 21 postseason games in 2025.
Drafted in the fifth round by the Oilers, Berezkin blossomed into a key player for Lokomotiv upon becoming a full-time player in 2022-23. That season saw him score seven goals and 26 points in 52 games, followed by eight games and 30 points in 62 games during the 2023-24 season.
His postseason career-high actually came during the 2024 playoffs, scoring five goals and 16 points in 20 games as Lokomotiv was swept by the Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the Gagarin Cup Finals.
It’s going to see what the Oilers do this off-season, as not only is Berezkin an NHL-ready prospect, but so are Isaac Howard and Quinn Hutson. It’s going to be a busy season, and the Oilers are going to look quite different in October. Hopefully, Berezkin can come as advertised and earn a top nine role.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.