The 32-in-32 Series is an annual event here at DobberProspects and has been condensed from two articles to one. The article will bring you: The highlighted team’s draft; insights into its off-season moves; looking at prospect risers, fallers and likely prospects to play NHL games; and of course, the writers’ top-20 prospects. Articles may be brought back when an important team update occurs, so check back because we plan to fill your hockey withdrawal needs all off-season!

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Read past 32 series stories here: https://dobberprospects.com/category/feature/32-in-32-series/

Make sure to check out the Edmonton Oilers team page here: https://dobberprospects.com/team/edmonton-oilers/

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The Edmonton Oilers are at a crossroads this season. After coming so close to winning the Stanley Cup in back-to-back years, the Oilers had a disappointing start, entering the second half with a 20-15-6 record and sitting sixth in the Western Conference. They maintained a similar pace in the second half, finishing the regular season with 41 wins and 93 points to earn second place in the Pacific Division. Then, the Oilers’ championship hopes came crashing down when their playoff run was abruptly ended by the young Anaheim Ducks in the first round.

With the organization looking to remain competitive while continuing to replenish its prospect pool, the 2025-26  season provided some encouraging developments throughout the system. Several prospects took significant steps forward, particularly in Barkersfield, while others saw their development slow or their path to the NHL become less clear. 

We will take a look at some rising stars and fallers in the Oilers’ prospect pipeline later on, but to start, let’s take a look at their latest draft picks.

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NHL Draft Recap

Round 2, 58th overall: Rudolfs Berzkalns, C (USHL)

The Oilers did not own a first-round pick in 2026 after trading it to the San Jose Sharks in March 2025 as part of the Jake Walman deal. Edmonton needed to add size in the middle so they made Berzkalns their first selection in the 2026 Draft in the second round, a 6-4, 203 lbs left-shot center. Berzkalns was widely regarded as a value pick, with many scouts projecting him to come off the board earlier, even some late in the first round. Edmonton projects him as a two-way center with a strong defensive skill set. The Latvia born player is an excellent forechecker making him very tough along the boards and during battles in front of the net. He uses his size efficiently to protect the puck with assurance allowing him to maintain possession and facilitate offensive-zone play. For a player of his size, he skates remarkably well. He moves effortlessly in open ice and combines smooth mobility with a physically imposing game. However, Berzkalns will need to improve his explosiveness to help him to be more creative offensively as he remains more of a predictable straight-line forward. The 58th overall pick should not be expected to wear an Oilers jersey anytime soon. His development path remains a long-term one, with another season in the USHL before joining Boston College in the NCAA in 2027-28, where the Oilers hope his offensive game will continue to catch up to his defensive foundation.

25/26 Stats, Muskegon: GP: 48 | G: 13 | A: 12 | P: 25 | PPG: 0.52 |

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Round 3, 84th overall: Malcom Gästrin, LW (MoDo)

At just 17 years old, Gästrin played at three different levels last season, including four professional games in HockeyAllsvenskan after establishing himself with MoDo Hockey U18 and U20 teams. With 23 points in 15 U18 games and 25 points in 24 U20 games, the 84th overall selection of the 2026 Draft is considered as a high-IQ left-shot winger of 6-0, 174 lbs. His offensive instinct and off-puck movement consistently put him in scoring areas, allowing him to create opportunities as playmaker and for one-timers and rebounds. Gästrin is projected to be a middle-six winger who could eventually contribute on both special teams units on a long-term basis. To reach that ceiling, he will need to add strength in order to better withstand the physical demands of the NHL level.

25/26 Stats, MoDo Hockey U18: GP: 15 | G: 9 | A: 14 | P: 23 | PPG: 1.53 |

25/26 Stats, MoDo Hockey U20: GP: 24 | G: 9 | A: 16 | P: 25 | PPG: 1.04 |

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Round 5, 133th overall: Andrew Robinson, D (OHL)

Robinson is viewed as a defense-first blueliner who is smart and reliable with excellent decision-making abilities and strong transition skills. His poise under pressure allows him to make smart decisions with the puck while limiting costly turnovers. His steady defensive play was reflected in a +36 rating, which ranked among the OHL’s top ten last regular season. The 6-0, 190 lbs left-shot defenceman’s NHL ceiling will largely depend on his skating skills development. If he improves his acceleration and lateral mobility, he projects as a potential third-pairing blueliner who could contribute on penalty-killing units. 

25/26 Stats, Windsor: GP: 63 | G: 9 | A: 15 | P: 24 | PPG: 0.38 |

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Round 6, 180th overall: Caden Harvey, C

Harvey is a 6-1, 183 lbs right-shot offensive center who combines strong playmaking instincts with an aggressive forechecking game and excellent puck retrieval skills. His inconsistent production caused him a late draft ranking but his offensive tools give him the potential to outperform his draft position. He projects as a middle-six center thanks to his hockey sense and relentless compete level.

25/26 Stats, Windsor: GP: 68 | G: 11 | A: 23 | P: 34 | PPG: 0.50 |

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Round 7, 212th overall: Ryan Cameron, G (USHL)

Cameron is a 6-2, 183 lbs left-catching goaltender considered as a development project for the Oilers. Despite recording modest statistics with (2.92 GAA, .882 SV% in 40 USHL games), the Oilers see in Cameron a long-term potential with intriguing upside. To develop this potential, he will need to improve his consistency and physical maturity.

25/26 Stats, Cedar Rapids: GP: 40 | REC: 24-11-5 | GGA: 2.92 | SV%: 882 | SO: 0 |

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Off-Season Moves

Incoming

Ryan Shea – 5 years, $4.0 Million

Eduards Tralmaks – 1 year, $0.85 Million

Mathieu Joseph – 1 year, $1.0 Million

Frederik Andersen – 1 year, $1.00 Million

Devon Levi – 1 year, $0.8125 Million

Shakir Mukhamadullin – 2 years, $1.75 Million

Zack Sharp (NCAA)

Owen Michaels – 2 years, $0.9 Million

Outgoing

Darnell Nurse

Calvin Pickard

Roby Jarventie

James Hamblin

Matvei Petrov

Jack Roslovic

Samuel Poulin

Cam Dineen

Still Free Agent on August 15th

Adam Henrique (UFA)

Connor Ingram (UFA)

Curtis Lazar (UFA)

Josh Bloom (RFA)

Re-Signed

Connor Ungar – 1 year, $0.85 Million

Jason Dickinson – 5 years, $4.0 Million

Connor Murphy – 5 years, $4.1 Million

Kasperi Kapanen – 1 year, $2.6 Million

Max Jones – 1 year, $0.85 Million

Spencer Stastney – 1 year, $1.525 Million

Colton Dach – 2 years, $1.2 Million

Eemil Vinni – 1 year

Comments:

Two moves could have a significant impact on the Oilers’ outlook heading into the new season. The departure of Darnell Nurse opens a major hole on the blue line, but also creates an opportunity for some of Edmonton’s younger defensemen to earn a larger role. In goal, the Oilers added veteran Frederick Andersen and young goaltender Devon Levi, both coming from situations where they had fallen out of the starting picture during the most recent playoffs. Their arrivals should create an interesting dynamic in Edmonton’s crease and could influence the timeline of some of the organization’s goaltending prospects.

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In the System

Risers

Tommy Lafreniere, C

The 83rd overall pick in the 2025 Draft is arguably one of the Oilers’ prospects with the highest upside in their pipeline. Lafreniere completed his WHL career with 137 points in 144 games, including 67 goals with the Kamloops Blazers. He finished the last season among the league’s top 15 scorers with 77 points and ranked fourth with 41 goals. This season, he will join Western Michigan University  as a NCAA’s Freshman, where he will have the opportunity to further develop his shooting and playmaking skills. The 6-0, 183 lbs hard-working forward never hesitates to attack dangerous areas to retrieve pucks, creating opportunities for himself and his teammates. If he improves his skating, he could eventually develop into a reliable middle-six power forward in the NHL. 

David Lewandowski, LW

Lewandowski is a 19-year-old German player who just completed his second season in North America in the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades. He recorded 17 goals and 48 assists for 65 points in 57 games, making him the team’s leading scorer. The 2025 fourth-round Oilers pick established himself as the Blades’ top offensive producer over the last two seasons averaging 0.95 point per game. His shot and off-puck positioning give him an excellent offensive sense. Lewandowski could become a versatile forward if he improves his skating and physicality, allowing him to be more explosive and wins battles consistently along the boards. 

Quinn Hutson, RW

After completing a terrific season in the NCAA recording 23 goals, 27 assists for 50 points in 38 games ranked him in the top-ten of the league, Hutson has been named on the AHL All-Rookie Team last season with Bakersfield Condors. His 30 goals in 67 games placed him among the top rookie scorers. The 5-11, 176 lbs forward has an excellent hockey sense and knows how to generate offence and if he adds strength and becomes more imposing physically, Hutson could become a dangerous middle-six winger, a consistent NHL contributor with an intriguing upside. 

Daniel Salonen, G

Salonen made an impressive transition to Liiga last season, he was expected to continue his development behind former NHL goaltender Antti Raanta with Lukko before coming in relief and eventually earning a significant share of the crease. He got 27 starts and his first starts resulted in a shutout and went on to start eight consecutive games. The 2025 sixth-round Edmonton pick finished the season with three shutouts among his 14 wins, a 2.40 GAA and a .887 SV%. Salonen will likely pursue his progression in Finland this season, with an opportunity to demonstrate he is ready to make the jump into the AHL in the mid-term, depending on the situation within the Oiler’s goaltending pipeline.

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Fallers

Maxim Berezkin, LW

Berezkin is a powerful  6-2, 212 lbs winger with good hands allowing him to protect the puck effectively and win battles along the boards. Last season, he helped Lokomotiv win the KHL Championship before surprisingly deciding to re-sign with the club for two years rather than sign with the Oilers and make the move to North America. At 24-years-old, the Oilers’ 2020 fifth-round pick’s decision keeps him in Russia through the 2027-2028 season. His choice may be explained by Lokomotiv’s success over the past two seasons and the significant role he holds there compared to what he could have faced in the AHL. His offensive production also declined last season, dropping to 0.50 points per game compared to 0.64 the previous season, with a similar trend during the playoffs. This decrease could be related to a change in his role within Lokomotive, but if so, it raises the question of why he chose to remain in Russia rather than pursue an opportunity in North America. 

Nathaniel Day, G

Day was the Oilers’ sixth-round pick in the 2023 Draft after a solid second OHL season with a rebuilding Flint team, where he faced a high volume of shots. The Oilers selected him that year because of his size (6-3, 185 lbs at 18-years-old) and because he was considered one of the biggest wildcard goaltenders in the draft following a strong finish to his draft season. He took over Flint’s starting job and posted a .916 save percentage over his final 11 games including nine wins. Now 6-4, 205 lbs, Day later became the Firebirds’ MVP, but his development has slowed since turning professional. He struggled in his first ECHL season with Fort Wayne, raising questions about whether he can turn his physical tools into a reliable professional game.   

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Likely to see NHL action

Isaac Howard

Quinn Hutson

David Lewandowski

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Top 20 Prospects

This section is intended to paint a picture of the Edmonton Oilers prospects whose current trajectory projects them making the most positive fantasy impact at the time that they reach the NHL. Arrival date and NHL certainty have been taken into consideration; however, potential upside is the most important factor in determining this list.

1. Isaac Howard
2. Beau Akey
3. Quinn Hutson
4. Tommy Lafreniere
5. David Lewandowski
6. Eemil Vinni
7. Malcom Gästrin
8. Maxim Berezkin
9. William Nicholl
10. Nathaniel Day
11. Rudolfs Berzkalns
12. Atro Leppänen
13. Aku Räty
14. Viljami Marjala
15. Asher Barnett
16. Paul Fischer
17. Daniel Salonen
18. Connor Clattenburg
19. Joel Määttä
20. James Stefan

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Final thoughts

The 2025-26 season also saw several former prospects take the next step. Matthew Savoie played his first full season with the Oilers, while Colton Dach joined the team late in the season and received an opportunity to establish himself at the NHL level. Looking ahead to 2026-27, Edmonton also added Shakir Mukhamadullin, traded for Nurse, giving the organization another young player with NHL experience to integrate into the NHL lineup.

Edmonton will also enter the new season with a new head coach, following an offseason change that generated considerable controversy (assuming he makes it to the regular season this time). I will leave that discussion aside, as the focus here remains on the development of the organization’s prospects. With several young players moving closer to NHL consideration and others already making the jump, the 2026-27 season should provide valuable insight into which pieces can eventually become part of the Oilers’ next NHL core.

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Make sure to check out the Edmonton Oilers team page here: https://dobberprospects.com/team/edmonton-oilers/

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Thank you for reading and follow me on Twitter/X for AHL updates all season long!

Pat Bast

Follow on Twitter/X: @PBastien1980