Vasily Podkolzin finally got the monkey off his back.
The winger scored his first goal as a member of the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, wiring a nicely placed pass from Leon Draisaitl over the shoulder of New York Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick. It was also Podkolzin’s first goal in the NHL since all the way back on March 23, 2023 when he was a member of the Vancouver Canucks.
Podkolzin was selected by the Canucks with the tenth overall pick in the 2019 draft, two spots after the Oilers selected Philip Broberg with their top pick.
After spending the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons playing in Russia, Podkolzin signed his entry-level contract with Vancouver and immediately jumped into the NHL in 2021-22. He had a strong rookie showing with the Canucks, scoring 14 goals and 26 points over 79 games while playing largely with Elias Pettersson and Conor Garland in the top-six.
Podkolzin struggled to start the 2022-23 season and was sent to the American Hockey League after not scoring a goal in his first 16 games. Vancouver made a coaching change in the middle of the season and Podkolzin played mostly bottom-six minutes when he came up and Rick Tocchet had taken over behind the bench. He finished his sophomore season with four goals and seven points in 39 games.
The Canucks sent Podkolzin to the AHL to start the 2023-24 season and he didn’t get called up to the NHL until March. Podkolzin scored 15 goals and 28 points over 44 games with the Abbotsford Canucks and added two assists in 19 games with Vancouver. He suited up in only two playoff games for the team in the spring and didn’t register any points.
In the off-season, Podkolzin was granted a change of scenery when he was traded to the Oilers in exchange for Edmonton’s fourth-round pick in the 2025 draft. After Dylan Holloway signed an offer sheet with the St. Louis Blues that the Oilers decided was too expensive to match, the team had a spot open for a skilled winger who could score goals and play with some energy.
Though it took him 22 games to find the back of the net, Podkolzin has been a solid addition for the Oilers. He’s found chemistry playing alongside Leon Draisaitl and the line has produced very strong underlying numbers together at even strength. Hopefully this is the beginning of a heater for the young winger.
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