As 2026 is now firmly underway, this is the time when organizations begin to look at the players who have their rights about to expire. These players whose rights expire in 2026 include names such as Maxim Beryozkin, Dalyn Wakely, Albin Sundin, and William Nicholl. <\/p>\n
Let\u2019s take a look at everything Edmonton Oilers prospects.<\/p>\n
Welcome to the TOR Edmonton Oilers prospect update. Each week, we\u2019ll take a dive into how the Oilers\u2019 prospects have done in their respective leagues to go along with a feature one one standout prospect in Edmonton\u2019s system. We have defined a prospect as a skater who has played fewer than 65 NHL games, and is born 2001 or earlier.<\/p>\n
William Nicholl, F, London Knights (OHL)<\/p>\n
Nicholl was a depth forward for the London Knights of the OHL, but had high pace, quality hockey sense, and strong enough skating to attract scouts\u2019 attention. This attention led to the 2006-born forward becoming one of the last players selected in the 2024 NHL draft, going 196th overall to Edmonton. <\/p>\n
All Nicholl needed was a chance, and he built off that momentum to have a breakout season last year, almost tripling his 20 points from his draft year, to 57, and working his way up the lineup. However, after a serious upper-body injury the Canadian had to undergo surgery, which kept him until New Years Eve. <\/p>\n
Now Nicholl is back to prove he never lost any momentum.<\/p>\n
The current situation for Nicholl<\/p>\n
The London Knights are in the midst of having one of their worst season in close to a decade, (which is crazy to say about a team with a 25\u201315\u20133 record). Despite the record ownership went into sell mode at the OHL\u2019s trade deadline, which just passed January 9.<\/p>\n
This means, while the London Knights do get younger, there\u2019s also more opportunity for a player like William Nicholl with the likes of Sam O\u2019Reilly, Ben Wilmott, and Julian Brown gone. Since Nicholl has returned he is averaging 19:16 of TOI while posting five points across seven games.<\/p>\n
Simply put, it means more ice time, opportunity, and trust than he\u2019s ever had in his entire OHL career so far. <\/p>\n
The sell-off also shows the team that coaches and management aren\u2019t too worried about winning it all this year, so this is great for Nicholl as he can work out some of the developmental areas in his game he otherwise wouldn\u2019t have the freedom to. <\/p>\n
This opportunity for Nicholl is a good character test for the young forward too. Nicholl has never been a leadership or focal point-esque player in the Knights organization, and now he will be a player who the organization leans on in clutch situations and as a mature leader in the room. <\/p>\n
All of this is nothing but positive as the seventh rounder prepares to enter either professional hockey with the Edmonton Oilers organization, or possibly even NCAA hockey, and these developments will expedite his own professional development.<\/p>\n
Edmonton Oilers prospect updates<\/p>\n
AHL<\/p>\n
The Bakersfield Condors had a stellar past week, defeating their rivals, the Calgary Wranglers 5\u20131 on the 16th, and 1\u20130 on the 18th, going 2\u20130\u20130.<\/p>\n
The Condors are now third in the AHL\u2019s Pacific Division with a 21\u201310\u20136 record. Bakersfield is now four points back from first place in their division.<\/p>\n
Power forward Brady Stonehouse is off to a stellar start with the Condors, collecting two assists across two games so far. Look for him to play a similar role to Connor Clattenburg, where he infuses energy and physicality into games.<\/p>\n
For the first time all season, there have been no roster moves this past week for Bakersfield.<\/p>\n
ECHL<\/p>\n
The Fort Wayne Komets continue to be on a slide this past week dropping two of their last three games. Fort Wayne lost to the Indy Fuel on the 14th 3\u20132, and the Bloomington Bison 5\u20132 on the 16th. Their sole victory this past week came in a next-day rematch with the bison where they walked away victorious by the score of 3\u20132.<\/p>\n
The Komet\u2019s grip on the ECHL\u2019s Central division is slipping. The Oiler\u2019s ECHL affiliate is now firmly in second place with 44 points from a 19\u201310\u20136 record. Fort Wayne is now three points back from first place Toledo.<\/p>\n
Forward James Stefan has picked up where he left off. The Oilers now have four prospects assigned to Fort Wayne.<\/p>\n
Only one roster move this week, as forward Nico Bachman left the Komets organization on the 13th. <\/p>\n
Europe<\/p>\n
2024 sixth-round defender, Albin Sundin, has struggled to find a consistent playing identity all season long, and this lack of any standout elements has continued to plague the Swede. The 2004-born defenceman continues to have inconsistent ice-time, scoring chances, and development.<\/p>\n
The NHL contract possibilities for Petr Hauser also appear to be dwindling, as the Czechia-born forward set a season-low record for 3:09 TOI in his game against HC Kometa Brno on the 18th. This comes after being scratched for a game against HC Energie Karlovy Vary earlier in the month.<\/p>\n
NCAA<\/p>\n
The University of Michigan played a pair of games against the University of Minnesota on the 16th and 17th, and won both. Oilers defensive prospect Asher Barnett continues to build trust with his coaching staff and is seeing more TOI as the season goes on. He even posted an assist in the first game. Teammate and fellow Oilers prospect Aiden Park is still largely serving as a bottom-six shutdown energy forward.<\/p>\n
2024 seventh rounder Bauer Berry played a pair of games against Bemidji State University on the 16th and 17th. He continues to adjust his shutdown physical pace mitigation game to the NCAA rank, but has found offensive play supporting elements, which he was rewarded for with an assist on the 16th.<\/p>\n
OHL<\/p>\n
Nicholl needs to stay healthy for the rest of the season. He has all the opportunities a young prospect could want with a top CHL organization. He now leaves the week with a three-game point streak, after netting a goal against the Sting on the 16th and finding the scoresheet against the Attack on the 17th.<\/p>\n
WHL<\/p>\n
The second best German within the Oilers organization, David Lewandowski, has refound his groove again after returning from the WJC. He appeared in three games this past week: a 3\u20131 loss to Brandon on the 14th, where he potted an assist, a 4\u20132 win against Swift Current on the 16th, where he collected two apples, and a 4\u20133 overtime loss to Swift Current the next day, where surprise surprise, he also playmaked his way into an assist.<\/p>\n
Lafreinere is now on a five-game point streak after a successful week. The two-way forward is thriving as a high-compete speedy winger that is a quality play supporter that complements the amount of soft skill that is on his line in the WHL.<\/p>\n
Russia<\/p>\n
The mobile 2022 sixth-round defender, Nikita Yevseyev, continues to stay busy as the KHL season roars on, as he appeared in three games this past week with Amur Khabarovsk, who now extends their losing streak to six games. The Russian defender did post one assist in a January 15 game against Ak Bars Kazan.<\/p>\n
Despite Beryozkin getting minutes, he has struggled all season to finish and generate scoring chances. The Oilers have quite the decision to make when it comes to whether or not to sign the 2001-born prospect after what has been a slump of a season.<\/p>\n
Forwards<\/p>\n
PlayerPositionGPGAPP\/GPPIMTeamLeagueMaxim BeryozkinRW46414180.3912Yaroslavl LokomitivKHLSamuel PoulinW\/C361115260.7222Bakersfield CondorsAHLConnor ClattenburgLW202130.1588Bakersfield CondorsAHLJayden GrubbeC\/RW2049130.6517Fort Wayne KometsECHLPetr HauserRW343580.2414HC VitkoviceCzechiaQuinn HutsonRW\/LW322315381.1930Bakersfield CondorsAHLRoby J\u00e4rventieLW\/RW311212240.7718Bakersfield CondorsAHLTommy LafreniereRW\/C412527521.2716Kamloops BlazersWHLDavid LewandowskiLW32828361.1322Saskatoon BladesWHLViljami MarjalaLW\/C371023330.8910Bakersfield CondorsAHLWilliam NichollC\/LW73250.710London KnightsOHLAidan ParkC2485130.5422University of MichiganNCAAMatvei PetrovLW\/RW163140.252Bakersfield CondorsAHLJosh SamanskiC\/LW36720270.7534Bakersfield CondorsAHLJames StefanRW\/LW261211230.888Fort Wayne KometsECHLBrady StonehouseRW\/LW20221.000Bakersfield CondorsAHLDalyn WakelyC2358130.5722UMass-LowellNCAA<\/p>\n
Defence<\/p>\n
PlayerPositionGPGAPP\/GPPIMTeamLeagueBeau AkeyRD2428100.4214Bakersfield CondorsAHLAsher BarnettLD24110110.468University of MichiganNCAABauer BerryLD231560.2614University of St. ThomasNCAADamien CarfagnaLD3137100.3210Bakersfield CondorsAHLPaul FischerLD20511160.8035University of Notre DameNCAAAlbin SundinRD362460.1710Timra IKSHLNikita YevseyevLD4439120.2724Amur KhabarovskKHL<\/p>\n
Goaltenders<\/p>\n
PlayerGPGAASV%RecordSOTeamLeagueNathaniel Day202.64.89110-6-42Fort Wayne KometsECHLSamuel Jonsson132.51.9037-4\u201323Fort Wayne KometsECHLConnor Ungar61.32.9556-0-01Bakersfield CondorsAHLDaniel Salonen182.85.8749-5-42LukkoLiigaEemil Vinni172.99.8848-5-41JoKPMestis
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