8 things to know about Oilers new acquisition Vasily Podkolzin

It's been an eventful couple of days for the Edmonton Oilers, as fans wait to find out whether they will match the St. Louis Blues' offer sheets for Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway. The deadline is on Tuesday, but Stan Bowman has played a blinder and the Oilers have at least put themselves in position to go in whichever direction they like, after a couple of trades on Sunday.

This included acquiring Vasily Podkolzin from the Vancouver Canucks in return for a 2025 fourth round draft pick, which was originally acquired from the Ottawa Senators. As we wrote at the time, this potentially alluded to Holloway being allowed to leave, given both players are forwards.

Regardless, there are plenty of questions about the acquisition of Podkolzin, with fans wondering who he is and what he potentially brings to Edmonton? With this in mind, here are eight things to know about the new addition to the Oilers roster:

1) Podkolzin became the first ever player born in the 21st century to play in a KHL game, when he made his debut for SKA Saint Petersburg. As per the KHL's official site, it happened on Nov. 12, 2018

2) The Canucks selected the 23-year-old 10th overall in the 2019 NHL entry draft, two picks after the Oilers took Philip Broberg at number eight. There was some debate over whether or not the Canucks took him too high but, as per Mike G. Morreale of NHL.com, Podkolzin was ranked second in the NHL's Central Scouting final ranking of international skaters.

3) Podkolzin played two more seasons in the KHL even after he was drafted by the Canucks, due to the contract he had previously signed with SKA Saint Petersburg. Including playoffs, he played 88 games in the KHL, producing 33 points (14 goals and 19 assist), 28 penalty minutes and a +16 rating.

4) The Moscow, Russia native made his NHL debut on Oct. 13, 2021 ironically versus the Oilers, in a 3-2 shootout loss. He would go on to score his first ever NHL goal in his second appearance, in a 5-4 shootout win against the Philadelphia Flyers.

5) In that 2021-22 season, Podkolzin would go on to play 79 games, producing 26 points (14 goals and 12 assists), 26 penalty minutes and a +7 rating while averaging 12:48 of ice time per contest. Overall for his NHL career to date, he has played 137 games, and produced 35 points (18 goals and 17 assists), 43 penalty minutes and a -2 rating, while averaging 12:15 of ice time.

6) The winger actually appeared in his first two ever playoff games this past season, with both games against the Oilers. He averaged 8:32 of ice time in the two contests, as he registered a block, six hits, 10 penalty minutes and a +1 rating.

7) The Canucks signed Podkolzin to a two-year contract extension on Apr. 18 this year, with an Average Annual Value of $1 million. It is important to note he is no longer waiver exempt.

8) Podkolzin has played at various levels internationally for Russia, including Under-17s, 18s and 20s. He was captain in 2018 for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he led the tournament in scoring and helped his team win bronze.

There is plenty of debate about whether Podkolzin will ever fulfil his potential of being a complete winger, which includes top tier speed, strong puck-handling skills and excellent skating ability. There are those who believe the Canucks didn't develop him properly, while others claim it's about him needing to have more confidence and being mentally stronger; regardless, this is an intriguing pickup for the Oilers for a low draft pick.

N.B. All statistics courtesy of Hockey Reference and Elite Prospects

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