Confirmed with Link: [EDM/VAN] Oilers acquire Vasily Podkolzin for OTT 4th '25

[powerserge]

Getting back to the player this is an interesting read. I searched for this after looking indepth at Podkolzins career. Indeed there is nothing in the players entire career that should suggest topten pick, not even first round pick.

Indeed the only time Podkolzin shined was at the Hlinka Gretzky tournament, and another example of scouts being seduced at short sample results that somehow become the narrative on the player instead of everything else he's done.

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The scouting reports are odd. For people in the profession of scouting they pretty clearly got this one wrong too. The player to this point is a bust. Not even an NHL player, and not doing much of anything in AHL either.

Really since Draft the player had one serviceable season in which he was even getting some top line looks. Theres been nothing since, not even a pulse.

I have to wonder what Igor Larionov was thinking comparing this player to Mark Messier. I don' get it, don't see it. He's not even an NHL player.

Agreed, dig a little deeper. Pod was shortchanged in ice time just like DH and Broberg were. A fresh start should be nice. A young player that is married with a kid should blend in with our older players being a young family man even though he is Russian. Scouts that are initially right but incorrect later would not be a surprise. Let's see what happens. He is playing for his life at the NHL level as a young kid, few have the motivation he would have being married with a child. Better fit in many ways, performance is yet to be determined. Just finding some positives in all of this.

 

[Morpheus]

IKEA has the BEST Swedish meatballs. And it's not even close.

Horsemeat found in Ikea meatballs; 21 nations hit

 

[Javaman]

Canucks fan here. Like most of us, I wish the best for Podkolzin. He's everything you'd want as a prospect when it comes to character, effort, and dedication. There's a reason why he was a fan favourite.

I would just caution Oilers' fans against expecting too much of him. He's a former top 10 pick entering his D+6 season without establishing himself as a legit NHL'er despite being part of an organization that was desperate for cheap, in-house talent to round out their forward corps. Basically, every forward the Canucks acquired this off-season was signed to fill the role Podkolzin might be expected to fill.

Honestly, it's hard to go wrong when the only cost is a 4th round pick.

 

[bellagiobob]

Canucks fan here. Like most of us, I wish the best for Podkolzin. He's everything you'd want as a prospect when it comes to character, effort, and dedication. There's a reason why he was a fan favourite.

I would just caution Oilers' fans against expecting too much of him. He's a former top 10 pick entering his D+6 season without establishing himself as a legit NHL'er despite being part of an organization that was desperate for cheap, in-house talent to round out their forward corps. Basically, every forward the Canucks acquired this off-season was signed to fill the role Podkolzin might be expected to fill.

Honestly, it's hard to go wrong when the only cost is a 4th round pick.

I think in general expectations are reasonable, that if he makes the team and contributes positively to the bottom six, and possibly gets to around 10 goals, that it’s like found money.

 

[guymez]

Agreed, dig a little deeper. Pod was shortchanged in ice time just like DH and Broberg were. A fresh start should be nice. A young player that is married with a kid should blend in with our older players being a young family man even though he is Russian. Scouts that are initially right but incorrect later would not be a surprise. Let's see what happens. He is playing for his life at the NHL level as a young kid, few have the motivation he would have being married with a child. Better fit in many ways, performance is yet to be determined. Just finding some positives in all of this.

I agree with this.
There is also something to be said about putting it all on the line for a team that clearly wants you as a player.
I am really curious to see what Pod brings to the table

 

[Louis Cypher]

The one thing I worry about with him is the isolation he may face here. He had many Russian teammates last year in Vancouver, and won’t have any with the Oilers this year. And he’s a young guy playing on a team with mainly older vets that have significant others and families to go home to every night, so hoping he finds inclusion and a comfort level here. Our history with Russians isn’t exactly great.

I don't think Vancouver has any Russians either now.

 

[Javaman]

I think in general expectations are reasonable, that if he makes the team and contributes positively to the bottom six, and possibly gets to around 10 goals, that it’s like found money.

And the "if" is the thing that motivated the Canucks to make the deal. A 4th pick is preferable to losing him for nothing on waivers.

 

[Javaman]

I don't think Vancouver has any Russians either now.

Things change fast. It wasn't that long ago that Canucks HF openly joked that Millstein was the defacto GM of the team because of his connections to Russian players, lol.

 

[VainGretzky]

Surely as an NHL player he can afford better than IKEA

Some people who have a lot of money are efficient Anything made post-1950 will end up in a dump and 0 in museums all garbage

 

[Soundwave]

I would give him some looks with Draisiatl because I think his game needs a playmaker that drives the play for him and lets him just do simple things like "get puck, go to net" type of thing. Now that we have a lot of winger flexibility maybe we could try

Skinner McDavid Hyman
Podkolzin Draisaitl Arvidsson
RNH Henrique Brown
Janmark Ryan Perry

That stacks up our 3rd line a bit and creates a lot of problems for opponents I think.

 

[SupremeTeam16]

I would give him some looks with Draisiatl because I think his game needs a playmaker that drives the play for him and lets him just do simple things like "get puck, go to net" type of thing. Now that we have a lot of winger flexibility maybe we could try

Skinner McDavid Hyman
Podkolzin Draisaitl Arvidsson
RNH Henrique Brown
Janmark Ryan Perry

That stacks up our 3rd line a bit and creates a lot of problems for opponents I think.

I like that idea as well, fresh start for the kid, try and see if you can build his confidence putting him with a player like Leon and seeing if he can find his scoring touch a bit.

I’d probably move Brown down to the 4th line, with how effective him and Janmark became together on the PK I’d try to keep that going and use them as a kind of shut down 4th line that you're confident you can throw out against top 6 opponents without them getting shelled. With Kane out I’d probably use the opportunity to give a guy like Lavoie (or Savoie if he blows the doors off in camp) a look on the third line with RNH and Henrique, having a young player playing thirds line comp with two vet top 6ers could yield good results.

 

[bellagiobob]

Some people who have a lot of money are efficient Anything made post-1950 will end up in a dump and 0 in museums all garbage

We have a restored washing machine at our cabin that is probably 60 years old. Old fashioned, simple technology without the bells and whistles, but will probably last another 40 years.

 

[Soundwave]

I like that idea as well, fresh start for the kid, try and see if you can build his confidence putting him with a player like Leon and seeing if he can find his scoring touch a bit.

I’d probably move Brown down to the 4th line, with how effective him and Janmark became together on the PK I’d try to keep that going and use them as a kind of shut down 4th line that you're confident you can throw out against top 6 opponents without them getting shelled. With Kane out I’d probably use the opportunity to give a guy like Lavoie (or Savoie if he blows the doors off in camp) a look on the third line with RNH and Henrique, having a young player playing thirds line comp with two vet top 6ers could yield good results.

Yeah I was thinking that too you could also run

Skinner McDavid Hyman
Podz Draisaitl Arvidsson
RNH Henrique Lavoie/Savoie
Janmark Ryan Brown

If Lavoie or Savoie earn a spot.

 

[joestevens29]

We have a restored washing machine at our cabin that is probably 60 years old. Old fashioned, simple technology without the bells and whistles, but will probably last another 40 years.

Didn’t they use washboards back then?

 

[SupremeTeam16]

Yeah I was thinking that too you could also run

Skinner McDavid Hyman
Podz Draisaitl Arvidsson
RNH Henrique Lavoie/Savoie
Janmark Ryan Brown

If Lavoie or Savoie earn a spot.

There is ALOT of options with this fwd group, 4/5 guys who could play C in the top 6, all kinds of different combination and looks they can put together and who knows where chemistry will be naturally or develop but I do like the look of that second line. Arvidsson is a demon on the forecheck, Podkolzin has similar skating/size to Holloway and likes to play aggressive. I could see those two getting after the D below the goal line and along the boards and Draisaitl sharking for those turnovers. I think Pod is a good fit, we don’t need him to reach his draft potential and shoot the lights out. We need him to bring that forecheck, hard working never quit on a play style with a defensive conscious and chip in with some secondary scoring.

 

[guymez]

Didn’t they use washboards back then?

 

[bellagiobob]

View attachment 902508

Ours is the model that came out just after this one.

 

[BlackDogg]

View attachment 902508

They say we have a lot of washboard roads in Sask. I think it's more like driving over a bunch of these on some of them though.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Canucks fan here. Like most of us, I wish the best for Podkolzin. He's everything you'd want as a prospect when it comes to character, effort, and dedication. There's a reason why he was a fan favourite.

I would just caution Oilers' fans against expecting too much of him. He's a former top 10 pick entering his D+6 season without establishing himself as a legit NHL'er despite being part of an organization that was desperate for cheap, in-house talent to round out their forward corps. Basically, every forward the Canucks acquired this off-season was signed to fill the role Podkolzin might be expected to fill.

Honestly, it's hard to go wrong when the only cost is a 4th round pick.

The Nucks fans that were shouting "C'mon Petey, please do something, please feel better and that were clamoring to have Podkolzin back in the lineup in the playoffs. How'd that work out. neither did a thing.

Hes' basically nothing I would want. Neither did any of the several last coaches he's had including going all the way back to a few KHL seasons. Must be all just a mirage and he's just a great character effort guy getting nothing done.

Seems like platitudes. They don't get him staying in an NHL lineup.

 

[guymez]

Ours is the model that came out just after this one.

I was chuckling when I read this but man those older machines are built solid...they run forever.

Not at all like the built in obsolescence we have to constantly deal with these days.
My Dad has a freezer that was manufactured in the early 70's. Still runs perfectly.
The appliances now a days might last you 10 years max before they break down.

 

[joestevens29]

Can't remember the guys name. Does play by play maybe for Nucks radio.

Anyway, was a good interview yesterday on 1440, but man Podkolzin just screams to me Jekyl and Hyde

Although the type of player he was described as I don't really know that there is ever a guy that plays that style consistent throughout the season. Guys that play a physical, heavy forecheck game simply can't keep it up.

Be curious if the Oilers coaching staff can find a way to get him to maybe tone it down, but still play that effective style.

 

[Javaman]

The Nucks fans that were shouting "C'mon Petey, please do something, please feel better and that were clamoring to have Podkolzin back in the lineup in the playoffs. How'd that work out. neither did a thing.

Hes' basically nothing I would want. Neither did any of the several last coaches he's had including going all the way back to a few KHL seasons. Must be all just a mirage and he's just a great character effort guy getting nothing done.

Seems like platitudes. They don't get him staying in an NHL lineup.

It's a classic "low-risk/high-reward" deal for the Oilers. The most likely outcome five years from now is that neither Podz nor the 4th are a useful asset for either team. But I still wish Podz well.

 

[Drivesaitl]

It's a classic "low-risk/high-reward" deal for the Oilers. The most likely outcome five years from now is that neither Podz nor the 4th are a useful asset for either team. But I still wish Podz well.

For sure. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Its a standard reclamation attempt. But really the player never really found it at this level. Even in his supposed good season it was really not very much.

 

[Javaman]

For sure. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Its a standard reclamation attempt. But really the player never really found it at this level. Even in his supposed good season it was really not very much.

As a rookie, it was an encouraging start for a player who hadn't exactly blown the doors off in his D+1 and D+2 seasons. I mean, 14 goals for a rookie winger is nothing to sneeze at.

However, when you filter it through the lens of the Boudreau Bump and the garbage-time nature of the Canucks second half that season, it doesn't take much to start sneezing.

 

[LTIR]

Hoping for a Klim Kostin, will settle for a Puljujarvi