Edmonton Oilers organization sign intriguing goalie ahead of 2026-27 season

The Oilers organization added a little more depth in net on Wednesday when the Bakersfield Condors officially signed goaltender Eemil Vinni to a one-year, two-way American Hockey League contract for the 2026-27 season.

It is the next logical step for the young Finnish netminder, who is finally set to make the jump across the Atlantic after being drafted by Edmonton back in 2024.

Vinni was Edmonton's second-round selection that year, going 64th overall after being ranked as the top European goalie available by NHL Central Scouting.

He carries a strong international resume too, having helped Finland capture bronze at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup while posting a sharp .927 save percentage across four appearances in that tournament.

The 6-foot-3 goaltender missed a big chunk of the 2024-25 season while dealing with injury, which pushed his timeline back a bit.

Still, he found his footing again last season, splitting time between JoKP and a loan stint with Ketterä in Finland's Mestis league.

His numbers on loan were especially eye-catching, a .951 save percentage and a 1.23 goals-against average across four regular season games, followed by an even stronger playoff run with a .943 save percentage over six contests.

At 20 years old, Vinni now gets his shot to prove himself against tougher, faster competition in North America.

Bakersfield gives him a real runway to develop under the Oilers' AHL system, and considering how thin the organizational goaltending depth chart can look at times, a strong showing this season could put him firmly on Edmonton's radar much sooner than expected.

It is a low-key move on the surface, but one worth watching for Oilers fans tracking the pipeline.

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