Confirmed Trade: [EDM/VAN] Vasily Podkolzin for OTT '25 4th

[VanJack]

That's the thing about this Vancouver management group. They're always thinking two or three moves ahead on the chessboard. Clearly they were convinced that Podkolzin would never make their opening night lineup, and would probably even have been bypassed in training camp by young guys who simply played better in Abbotsford last season.

When they went out and signed four UFA wingers and then brought Blais on on a PTO, the writing was on the wall for Podz. You can debate whether or not the Canucks did right by him, in terms of his development. But going back to his rookie season he had a lot of looks from the Canucks even before the regime change in 2021.

So it was either get something for him, or lose him for nothing. Podz was a likeable young guy. And I'm pulling for him in Edmonton, even it it is the Oilers we're talking about. But he simply ran out of runway in Vancouver.

 

[archangel2]

That's the thing about this Vancouver management group. They're always thinking two or three moves ahead on the chessboard. Clearly they were convinced that Podkolzin would never make their opening night lineup, and would probably even have been bypassed in training camp by young guys who simply played better in Abbotsford last season.

When they went out and signed four UFA wingers and then brought Blais on on a PTO, the writing was on the wall for Podz. You can debate whether or not the Canucks did right by him, in terms of his development. But going back to his rookie season he had a lot of looks from the Canucks even before the regime change in 2021.

So it was either get something for him, or lose him for nothing. Podz was a likeable young guy. And I'm pulling for him in Edmonton, even it it is the Oilers we're talking about. But he simply ran out of runway in Vancouver.

They got a 4th for a player who was not making the team. I do not see him making the oilers as well and will get claimed when the oiler trying to sneak him down to the farm

 

[TS Quint]

Do you live in a hole? People absolutely ask how.

There is no how with this guy because there aren't many.

 

[Rowlet]

There is no how with this guy because there aren't many.

Sure, but they were talking about drafting, and Podkolzin was picked where he was expected to go.

 

[strattonius]

There is no how with this guy because there aren't many.

You have a shameful posting technique.

Try adding some quality to your posts.

 

[LTIR]

They got a 4th for a player who was not making the team. I do not see him making the oilers as well and will get claimed when the oiler trying to sneak him down to the farm

He is insurance for Kane and his health issues in the bottom 6 and will have Perry as his main competition for 4th line wing spot when Kane is back. AHLers like Lavoie, Savoie, Pederson being other's he will need to outperform.

If Nuge gets moved to 3C then it opens up another LW spot for him.

McD, Drai,Nuge,Henrique at C
Hyman,Arvidsson,Brown,Kane at RW
Skinner,Janmark,Podkolzin ,???? at LW.

Bottom line, a roster spot or two will be up for grabs in Edmonton.

 

[Siludin]

Still a bit miffed* the Canucks couldn't find a more convenient trading partner than Edmonton for Podkolzin. I think he will look good next year.

 

[RandV]

Guy was drafted as a scoring forward, who has never scored at any level he has played, it’s baffling.

Never understood the pre-draft hype, and it’s looking to be a pretty sage point of view.

I never followed Podkolzin too closely but outside the top few picks these kids will score a lot in junior but not against professional men. It makes it harder to project a guy like Podkolzin here as he doesn't have any lofty CHL numbers, but as a teen he was playing against men and while not scoring 'looked good' in the tougher competition.

So you have to project that as he matures his professional offensive game will catch up, but at this point it just never happened for Podkolzin. On the Canucks end Lekkerimaki is a good example of this as in his draft year he has both SHL and SHL Jr numbers so you can see the clear difference, and last year he progressed in the SHL as a legit scorer.

 

[Killswitch]

Probably ends up in the KHL within a season

 

[Dazed and Confused]

The critiques from Vancouver fans sound a lot like those we had with Holloway before the playoffs: All the tools, but struggled when he got a chance with McDavod or Drai because the head just wasn't up to the speed of being a ton 6er, let alone keeping up with elite talents.

It took getting time with Gagner and Perry for him to start looking comfortable at the NHL level. Guys with plenty of offensive IQ but weren't going to push the pace, letting him play at his speed; Things that didn't develop when he was with guys like Foegele, McLeod, Janmark, and Ryan. This seems similar to Podz' problem in Vancouver, where he wasn't keeping up with Pettersson and Miller, but also couldn't produce next to Blueger or Lafferty.


I expect a similar plan out of the Oil, where they'll staple him to Perry and eventually Henrique to grow his game.