| Oilers Select 2nd rd (#58) - Rudolfs Berzkalns [message #852711] |
Sat, 27 June 2026 10:11  |
 NetBOG
Messages: 3093
Registered: January 2006
Location: Parts Unknown
3 Cups
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Oilers traded pick #52 to Lightning for pick #58 and pick #133
Date of Birth - Mar 03, 2008
Age 18
Place of Birth - Cesis, LAT
Nation - Latvia
Youth Team - Valmiera
Position - C
Height - 193 cm / 6'4"
Weight - 92 kg / 203 lbs
Shoots - L
Ranked #58 by CONSOLIDATED RANKING
Ranked #38 by ELITEPROSPECTS.COM
Ranked #49 by THN/FERRARI
Ranked #82 by THN/KENNEDY
Ranked #44 by MCKEEN'S HOCKEY
Ranked #35 by FLOHOCKEY/CHRIS PETERS
Ranked #48 by DAILY FACEOFF
Ranked #30 by NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING (NA Skaters)
Ranked #99 by SPORTSNET/BUKALA
Ranked #51 by SMAHT SCOUTING
Ranked #98 by DOBBERPROSPECTS
https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/941638/rudolfs-berzkal ns
[Updated on: Sat, 27 June 2026 10:14]
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 Skookum Jim
Messages: 6258
Registered: March 2006
Location: Burnaby, BC
6 Cups
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| NetBOG wrote on Sat, 27 June 2026 09:11 |
Oilers traded pick #52 to Lightning for pick #58 and pick #133
temp
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Oilers traded their #52 for tampa's #58 + #133 .. a 5th that the Oil didn't have
McDAVID! Oh YEAH Baby!! (Thank you Lord!)
Tic-Tac-Tao!
Keep on Rockin' in the Free World
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Skookum Jim
Messages: 6258
Registered: March 2006
Location: Burnaby, BC
6 Cups
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He's going to Boston College next year
Played in USHL.. so he's been in North America for a while..
Interviews; (His English is fluent)
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DaDsY4RRIxU/
https://thehockeynews.com/ushl/players/rudolfs-berzkalns-loo king-to-claim-clark-cup-before-heading-to-boston-college-nex t-season
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeEvuIeh8Lk
Highlights;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jTURJtjNiQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPQeogs33gE&t=2s (he's #7 vs Canada at WJHC)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_0d50cFrZ4&t=30s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_0d50cFrZ4&t=2s
From a The Hockey Writers article
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Rudolfs Berzkalns
At 6-foot-4, 204 pounds and still not done growing, Latvian power forward Rudolfs Berzkalns has made a jump in his second United States Hockey League (USHL) season. He’s a hard-hitting forward with offensive touch who can play physical, forecheck hard, and fire an accurate wrist shot with a heavy release. The Muskegon Lumberjacks tendered him in 2023, and it has turned out to be a great move for their organization.
He has been playing on the Muskegon Lumberjacks’ top six, lining up at center. It has been quite the jump since last season; as a 16-year-old in 2024-25 he played a limited bottom-six role, and now he’s in the top six and ranked 30th among North American skaters.
He battled through some bumps and bruises this season but still suited up for 48 regular-season games, scoring 13 goals and adding 12 assists for 25 points. In the playoffs, he has one goal and four assists for five points in seven games as of this writing, helping Muskegon move on to the Eastern Conference Finals and looking to repeat with back-to-back Clark Cups. He also scored a big-time goal against Canada in the U20 World Junior Championship earlier this season, crashing the net and putting home a rebound.
His one-timer on the power play is deadly. He has three power-play goals this season and sets up in the faceoff circle where he can rocket one-timers home. He can play the penalty kill too, takes faceoffs on it, and scored one shorthanded goal in the regular season. He has been the second-line center this playoffs, playing heavy minutes and being relied upon in all situations.
Berzkalns uses his long reach to his advantage. He can hold onto the puck, keep plays alive in the offensive zone, and win board battles. He’s a good playmaker and is defensively sound, with room for improvement of course. His long reach is always a plus and he can deflect pucks. He can take draws in most situations and is relied upon there, which is a great attribute to have.
NHL Draft Projection
There aren’t a whole lot of left-shot two-way centers in this draft cycle. He looks like an early third-rounder in my eyes, with the lowest being the fourth round.
Quotables
“St. Clair (Muskegon head coach) described Berzkalns as a “modern power forward,” with a potent combination of rangy size and on-the-puck skill. The Muskegon bench boss noted that he has to be careful when urging Berzkalns to assert himself physically, because he doesn’t want the player to forget how much he can impact a game offensively.” – Matt Gajtka, Bishop Kearney
Strengths:
Hockey IQ
Physicality
Two-Way center
Long reach
Shooting accuracy
Winning faceoffs
Power-play weapon
Under Construction/Improvements to Make:
Skating
Scoring production
Net front presence
NHL Potential
Berzkalns is committed to Boston College in the NCAA’s Hockey East, an elite conference and a historically powerful program. He should have an immediate impact there, likely starting in the bottom six and working his way up as the season goes on. Right now, he projects as a bottom-six center at the NHL level, but that can change with the upside he has. The size and intangibles are there, and BC will surely develop him further.
Risk/Reward Analysis
Risk – 2.5/5, Reward – 3.5/5
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[Updated on: Sat, 27 June 2026 10:39]
McDAVID! Oh YEAH Baby!! (Thank you Lord!)
Tic-Tac-Tao!
Keep on Rockin' in the Free World
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