The Edmonton Oilers, as a team that has sent away a bunch of draft picks as they chase a Stanley Cup victory during Connor McDavid's prime, need to consistently find other ways to add talent to their roster, and the trade that brought in Vasily Podkolzin is a perfect example of making that work. The 10th pick from the 2019 National Hockey League draft is a favorite of his superstar linemates and the reasons why are easy to see.
Full package
The Vancouver Canucks gave up on Podkolzin far too soon. After a 14-goal rookie campaign, the right winger didn't develop in a straight line. The chaotic Canucks locker room culture may have played a role, but ultimately, after four and zero goal campaigns where he was shuttled up and down from the Abbotsford farm team, the Canucks gave up on him, moving Podkolzin to the Oilers in exchange for a 4th round pick.
He's unquestionably a NHL-calibre player even without his late blooming offense so the price was a steal. But since arriving in Edmonton the player has steadily improved his offensive output. An eight goal season last year has been eclipsed by 15 already in 2025-26. The offense hasn't come at the expense of his strong defensive play either as his advanced stats remain positive.
Punches and postseason points
Furthermore, Podkolzin is a great teammate. He plays hard whenever he has a shift regardless of his linemates, he hits (9th in the league with 209), and he will defend his fellow Oilers on a moment's notice. In spite of only being 6'1, he can throw a heck of a punch, and he doesn't care who the opponent may be, as evidenced by his recent fight with the huge Nicolas Hague.
If Podkolzin can continue his trend of improved output and deliver more than last year's 10 points in 22 playoff games, it bodes well for the Oilers' postseason chances. Without depth scorers like Connor Brown and Mattias Janmark, someone will need to fill the void left behind, and Podkolzin seems to have the talent and willingness to do the job.
Podkolzin could have been rewarding the team that drafted and patiently developed him, along with Quinn Hughes and several other pieces of the Canucks promising nucleus of a few years back, but instead that team sits in the basement of the NHL's standings, while most of the departures prepare for the postseason. Oilers management got this one very right.