There’s plenty of hope around the idea that Maxim Berezkin and Paul Fischer could eventually join the Oilers, but the history here says caution is the smarter bet.
Edmonton’s track record with Russian prospects has been thin. Over the decade from 2010 to 19, the Oilers drafted nine Russian players.
Five came straight out of Russian leagues, while the other four were playing in North America in the season before they were picked. The return has been limited: Nail Yakupov, the No. 1 overall selection, played 350 NHL games.
Anton Slepyshev got into 102 games, and Bodgan Yakimov appeared in one NHL game. That was the full payoff.
Ken Holland’s arrival led some to believe the pattern might change. He had been the scouting director in Detroit when Sergei Fedorov (1989), Vladimir Konstantinov (1989) and Vyacheslav Kozlov (1990) were drafted, and later, as general manager, the Russian pipeline opened again with players like Pavel Datsyuk.
Still, the Oilers’ list of Holland-era draft picks includes Ilya Konovalov, Maxim Denezhkin, Maxim Berezkin, Matvei Petrov and Nikita Yevseyev. There’s talent in that group, and Holland’s patience with Russians during his Red Wings days was well known.
But Edmonton has repeatedly struggled to get Russian prospects across the ocean and settled long enough to matter. Russians, as the source notes, don’t like playing in the AHL, and Yakimov, Konovalov, Ziyat Paigin and others headed home quickly.
Dmitri Samorukov at least stayed under contract while playing overseas.
That’s why the dream of Berezkin in an Oilers jersey should come with a warning label. The organization has invested in Russians before and gotten very little back.
Fischer brings a different concern. Edmonton acquired him in August 2024 in the offer sheets trade, and he has played well since.
But the Notre Dame defenseman did not sign with the organization this summer, which is a red flag. He could go the free-agent route next spring and, as the source puts it, “can John Marino the Oilers.”
The appeal is obvious. Fischer is described as a strong skater and a ruthless hitter who still stays in position - “Your basic nightmare for opponents.”
Edmonton’s recruiting side has Notre Dame ties, with Bowman as GM and Andy Slaggert as director of NA recruiting, so this should have been wrapped up. Instead, it remains unresolved, and that possibility can’t just be brushed aside.
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