There was a time when the Edmonton Oilers winger, Vasily Podkolzin felt like he was heading down the path of an NHL Draft bust.
Originally drafted with the 10th overall selection by the Vancouver Canucks at the 2019 NHL Draft, Podkolzin had a lot of hype as highly skilled Russian power forward. He showcased many abilities that teams covet in a top-six winger with a high skill level, great speed, and strength.
Especially with his pro-ready size, he at least looked to have a solid potential floor but after only a few season with the Canucks, his NHL dreams were dwindling. He was scratched, sent down to their American Hockey League affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks.
Podkolzin has found his game with the Oilers
Last summer, in August 2024, the Oilers shocked many by trading a 2025 fourth round draft pick to the Canucks for Podkolzin, who had just signed a two-year contract extension worth $1 million annual average value.
It was a risky move for a team hoping to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals to trade an asset for a player who spent the majority of the past season in the AHL and had not surpassed 10 points in a single season since his rookie year in 2021-22.
However, he spent all 82 games last season in the NHL with the Oilers, putting together the best season since his rookie season, scoring eight goals and 16 assists for 24 points. Although he has not blossomed into the top-six forward he was initially expected to be, he has been able to carve out a solid role with the Oilers. His most common linemate since joining the Oilers is star Leon Draisaitl.
He has gotten along so well with Draisaitl that the forward heaped plenty of praise on Podkolzin at training camp this year.
This year, so far things look even better for the Russian winger. Through 26 games, he has four goals and six assists for 10 points, pacing him for 31 points (13 goals, 19 assists) on the year, the best of his entire NHL career. At 24, there is definitely room for him to grow his game, which provides a lot of optimism for the future of Podkolzin and the Oilers.
This optimism was relayed by the team just before the current season when Podkolzin signed a three-year contract worth $2.95 million AAV. This shows that the team not only values his contributions but is willing to invest in him as a player going forward.
It is good to see a young Oilers forward become such an important piece of the team. This is something that the Oilers need, especially with all of the struggles the team has had this season so far.