The Edmonton Oilers are weighing their options closely and are looking to close in and sign top Russian winger Maxim Berezkin to a contract for next season. Edmonton Oilers GM Stan Bowman was on 'Oilers Now' with Bob Stauffer recently and <a href='https://www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/nhl/we-re-going-to-buckle-down-oilers-aim-to-sign-up-top-russian-winger/ar-AA1CLWeE' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>made the news that the club intends to sign</a> draft pick Maxim Berezkin following the conclusion of his KHL season. He's had a very good season, Bowman said. We've been in touch with his representatives and when his season finishes we're going to buckle down on that. We've paid close attention, been impressed with him. He's a little bit older, good-sized kid, makes plays, comfortable with the puck. You can never have too many of those guys. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/BrendenEscott/status/1910843242934923487'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> Positive news for Oilers fans. Berezkin has turned into a legitimate NHL prospect. The big question now is whether he's ready and willing to make the leap from Russia to North America. <a href='https://www.nhl.com/oilers/player/maksim-berezkin-8482202' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Berezkin</a> had a breakout season with Yaroslavl Lokomotiv, finishing second in team scoring and 50th in the entire KHL. <h3>Berezkin is ranked as a top 10 prospect</h3> 'The Cult of Hockey' recently ranked him ninth in Edmonton's top prospects, but he might have been ranked higher if there were more assurance that he would be willing to make the trip across the ocean. A fifth-round pick (138th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft, Berezkin is now 23 and will be 24 in October, an ideal time for a transition to North America. His development since draft day has been steady and impressive. At the time, he had only one game with Lokomotiv's senior club. He appeared in a total of 61 games over the next two seasons, mostly in a reduced role, while tearing up the MHL, Russia's top junior league. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/WildcatOil/status/1911087662355894671'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> Three years ago, he secured a full-time position with Lokomotiv, notching 26 points in 52 games. He followed that with a 30-point season in 62 games last season, then made some noise in the playoffs with 16 points in 20 games. This season, he's taken it to another level with 42 points in 66 games. Whether Berezkin is ready to take the jump across the ocean or not is still unclear, but if it's going to happen, this feels like the moment, and Bowman sure hopes it all goes smoothly.