This in from the Russian publication Vseprosport, excellent news for the Edmonton Oilers in that top Russian forward Maxim Berezkin is making clear he wants to come play for the Oilers next season.
Berezkin was interviewed at length by writer Daria Tuboltseva and made clear his ambition to play for the Oilers in 2026-27, huge news for Edmonton, as Berezken has become a dominant forward at the KHL level.
Asked if he dreams of playing with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Berezkin said, “My dream is to play in the NHL, against all these stars I have watched my whole life. I want to test myself at their level. Even if I am worse at first, I will not get upset and look for ways to improve my game.”
Berezkin, 24 in October, is a huge winger, 6-feet, 4-inches, 210-pounds, taken 138th overall in the 2020 draft. He has improved each year since his draft year, making a huge leap last year when he was a key player on his Yaroslavl Lokomotiv team in winning the Gagarin Cup for the first time. The team was coached by Bob Hartley, who led the Colorado Avalanche to a Stanley Cup win in the Sakic-Forsberg era.
Berezkin
Berezkin said his team got a huge reaction winning Russian hockey’s top prize. “Many people came up to me in the center of Yaroslavl. It was clear that the city lives for hockey, that everyone is happy with our result. But we need to forget about this, move on, start the journey from scratch and go for the Cup again.”
This summer he’s trained for more speed, he said. “Explosive work and speed are not my strong points, and in the summer I specifically focused on this to become stronger.”
Hartley is a demanding coach, Berezkin said. “Even during training and the first game, I noticed: he pays attention to little things, constantly prompts. These details are especially important in the playoffs. Sometimes they are the ones that decide whether you win or lose. In total, they can turn into a scoring opportunity or a victory. If you pay attention to such nuances, you grow and achieve success.”
Asked by Tuboltseva about his role on the team, he said, “I am ready for any role where the coach sees me. I want to be the leader of this team. I understand that the result depends on me – both positive and negative. Each of my actions is always important for the team. We do not have any obvious stars in the team, we are strong precisely because we are one team.”
Asked about his impressive bulk and power as a player, Berezkin said, “It is better not to gain excess weight in the summer, because it is very difficult to lose it later. I always try to keep myself in shape, even on vacation. If you give in to weakness, it is very difficult to return to the necessary condition later. Attack, wrestling – this is my advantage. I like to play in single combats, I like a power game, I can get to the goal, pass. I consider this my strong point.”
Berezkin told Tuboltseva he’s remained with Lokomotiv in part due to advice from an assistant coach Igor Nikitin that he hasn’t been ready yet for the NHL.
“He thought it was too early for me to go to the NHL. I took that into account and decided to stay another year so as not to play in the AHL, but to come prepared. I understood that it would be difficult at first, but I want to establish myself as a leading player in the main team.”
He made the decision last December. “I don’t regret it at all. I thought it was the right thing to do. I want to develop and I hope to have a better season than last year. It’s not that I hope for it, I will have a better season than last year.
How did Edmonton react to my decision to stay at Lokomotiv, Tuboltseva asked him.
“I don’t think they expected it. I was invited to join the team. We had conversations, some discussions, but I didn’t give them a clear answer. I decided to stay and I’m sure that this is only a plus for my development.
“The main thing for me is to play in the NHL, and contract issues are secondary. I want to be the best version of myself every day.
Did you follow Edmonton in the playoffs?
“Yes, I follow them as they reach the finals two years in a row. They play against such a powerful opponent – Florida. I hope that in the future they will be able to reach the Cup, and together with me.
Are you acquainted with Vasily Podkolzin, who plays for Edmonton?
“I wouldn’t say we’re close, but we communicate, sometimes we write to each other. Of course, it’s nice when there’s a Russian on the team, I think he’ll help us adapt.”
How is your English?
“Not good enough. I’m going to study with a tutor this year to improve my level. I can understand simple words so far, but it’s hard to speak on my own.”
My take
1. Excellent news that Berezkin is keen to try his hand at the NHL. He also comes across as a serious, mature and dedicated player, one who won’t easily give up on his ambitions. The Oilers have a weak record in drafting and developing Russian players, though the team has traded for some Russian players who have excellent here such as Boris Mironov, Sergie Samsonov, Andrei Kovalenko, Igor Ulanov, Denis Grebeshkov and Klim Kostin.
And, of course, Podkolzin is currently thriving on the team.
2. Berezkin compared the power game he plays to that of Tage Thompson, the massive and highly skilled forward for the Buffalo Sabres. I’m hoping he can bring some of the smart, tough and skilled two-way hockey that we saw from Dustin Penner, who did so well here on poor Oilers teams.
3. Berezkin might well be a useful net-front player on the power play, as well as a winger I would expect will play in the Top 9 if not the Top 6. His grinding and aggressive style could go a long way for the Oilers, who are light on size and aggression at forward just now, having lost players like Evander Kane, Warren Foegele and Dylan Holloway the past two seasons.