Oilers sign former Sabers Prospect Viljami Marjala to two-year entry-level contract

 

Viljami Marjala, a left winger, has signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers, the team announced on Saturday.

The 22-year-old Marjala was previously chosen by the Buffalo Sabres in the fifth round of the 2021 NHL Draft, but he was able to join with the Oilers as a free agent on June 1 after his rights expired.


Marjala is a 6-foot-1 winger who has played professionally for TPS Turku in Finland's Liiga, the country's top hockey league, for the past three seasons. He became one of the team's most effective forwards throughout his tenure there, playing in 129 games and tallying 29 goals and 101 points.

In 2024-25, he scored eight goals and 52 points, tying for TPS Turku’s scoring lead, with his 44 assists ranking fifth among all Liiga players and the most among all forwards on his team. 

Although he made a name for himself as a top playmaker in his most recent season, he scored fewer goals in 2023–24, scoring 17 goals in 60 Liiga regular season games and three more in nine playoff games.

to beginning his professional career in Finland, Marjala spent two seasons with the Québec Remparts of the QMJHL, where he scored 18 goals and provided 55 assists in 98 games. He also helped the team to the 2022 QMJHL playoffs, where he scored eight points and scored a goal in 12 President's Cup Playoff games.
He had previously played youth hockey in Finland with Kärpät's academy.

A native of Haukipudas, Finland, Marjala has spent time at both the left wing and center throughout his career, and has represented his national team 12 times at the senior level, but never at an Olympics or the IIHF World Hockey Championship.

Roby Jarventie was signed by the Oilers on June 3rd, while Marjala is the second prospect the team signed in June. With the series deadlocked at one after two games against the Florida Panthers, the Oilers continue to focus on the 2025 Stanley Cup Final despite their forward-looking outlook.