Marjala was one of the AHL’s best rookie stories this season. After Buffalo let his rights expire in June 2025, Edmonton signed the Finnish playmaker to an entry-level deal, and he rewarded them immediately. His 60 points (17 goals, 43 assists) in 72 games made him one of just four players in Bakersfield Condors franchise history to reach that assist and point total. He was the only Condor to play in all 72 games, and he ranked tied for fourth among all AHL skaters under 23 in scoring. The assist-to goal ratio tells you everything about his game. Marjala is a pure setup man who changes pace, manipulates defenders’ feet, and delivers passes under pressure that most AHL forwards cannot execute. He paired well with volume shooter Quinn Hutson, feeding him from the half-wall and off the cycle. The concern is whether the goal-scoring translates. Seventeen goals in 72 games is modest for a player who needs to add that dimension to earn NHL time. His frame (6-1, 178 pounds) could use more strength to survive the cycle game at the next level. For fantasy managers, Marjala is a stash in deeper dynasty formats. A second strong AHL season in 2026-27 should put him in the call-up conversation, and if the Oilers lose depth forwards to free agency or trade, he is the first internal option at center. A realistic NHL ceiling sits around 35 to 45 points as a third-line playmaker.

Marjala signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers on June 7, 2025. He was initially drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in 2021 (fifth-round, 159th overall) after two seasons in the Canadian Hockey League’s QMJHL ‘s Quebec Remparts; Buffalo elected not to sign him by the June 1, 2025 signing deadline, making Marjala an unrestricted free agent. The 6-1, 180 lb forward spent the past three seasons in Finland’s Liiga with TPS Turku. He played in 129 games and recorded 101 points (29 goals and 72 assists). He was tied for the lead in points on TPS Turku in 2024-25 with his 52 points (eight goals and 44 assists).

The Buffalo Sabres drafted Marjala in the fifth round (159th overall) in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.