Edmonton picked up Vasily Podkolzin for next to nothing this past August, trading a fourth round draft pick to the Vancouver Canucks for the forward.
The trade represented a mighty fall for Podkolzin, drafted 10th overall in 2019 by Vancouver after a stellar junior career in Russia, then scoring 14 goals as a 20-year-old NHLer. But in the next few years he failed to stick the landing on a permanent role with the Canucks. He earned his way out of town.
Not skilled enough for the top two lines, not savvy and tough enough for the bottom two lines, that was narrative of Podkolzin’s demise in Vancouver.
But in his first month with the Edmonton Oilers, Podkolzin has risen up from the fourth line to the first line against the Nashville Predators on Thursday, a game that saw #92 become an instant overnight hero in Edmonton. He did so in part for playing a solid two-way game on the top line with Leon Draisaitl and Viktor Arvidsson, but mainly for landing one of the hardest punches in Edmonton Oilers history against tough Nashville d-man Jeremy Lauzon.
On HockeyFights.com the fight has now been rated by more than 40 viewers, every single one of them granting victory to Podkolzin.
Spittin’ Chiclets raved about the fight on social media: “Podkolzin just POPPED Jeremy Lauzon with a BOMB 💣”
On the 32 Thoughts podcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was also impressed with Podkolzin’s pugilism. “Boy, did he send a message,” Friedman said. “He didn’t pick the softest guy in the NHL, that’s for sure… He picked the hit record holder, he picked The Guy, Lauzon. And that makes it doubly impressive that the guy he fought and the guy he knocked down was no shrinking violet.”
And Zach Laing of Oilers Nation: “Was that Vasily Podkolzin or Dave Semenko? My god.”
And NHL commentator Jeff Marek: “Secret’s out about Podkolzin now.
And Oilers fan Paul Almeida: “Podkolzin crushed Lauzon with a couple of thundering punches.
I’ve liked the way he’s played and I love his compete. The fighting skills were a surprise. The Oilers are taking no crap since Backlund slashed Skinner and no one responded. Clearly a shift in attitude since then.”
Pod-Killz-him, but he’s also got game
If it was just the fight, the buzz around Podkolzin wouldn’t be so positive, but it’s hard to imagine he’s had a stronger stretch of hockey than his first month in Edmonton. He’s not been putting up points, but his backchecking and forechecking, hitting and skating, have been good.
As a two-way player, he’s so far outperforming Dylan Holloway when it comes Podkolzin’s contributions to Grade A shots plus-minus at even strength, Pod’s play this year compared to Holloway’s last season.
Podkolzin is at +1.7 Grade A shots even strength per game this year, while Holloway was at +0.9 per game in the 2023-24 regular season, and plus +0.7 per game in the playoffs.
Of course, Holloway has room to grow as a player, which is why St. Louis offered him the bigger bucks, but perhaps so does Podkolzin, who earned some strong reviews after the Nashville game.
Solid reviews
On the Ray & Dregs podcast, top hockey commentator Ray Ferraro said Podkolzin demonstrated he knows what he’s doing. “He landed one right on the eject button there and down Lauzon went. And that like there’s not many fights like that anymore, thankfully. But oh my goodness that didn’t go to the judges for a decision. That was that was a win.”
Podkolzin was in a tough spot in Vancouver being drafted so high, Ferraro said. He was physically stronger than other major junior players, but he’s not huge and it caught up with him in physical battles in the NHL. “I think he can be a bottom six player,” Ferraro said. “His feet are a little heavy and they’ve got him, you know, they’ve got him elevated right now in the lineup.”
Podkolzin has taken Jeff Skinner’s spot on the Leon Draisaitl line for now, Ferraro said.
“He must have felt 10 feet tall last night. And when you’re looking for anything to stay in the lineup, that’s (the fight) one more thing he can put in his toolbox… He can look after himself. He could play in a tough building. And if that keeps you in the line up longer maybe all of a sudden you make a few more plays and then your game expands. Like you never know what’s going to be the catalyst for a player.”
On Got Yer Back podcast, astute Edmonton commentator Jason Strudwick also loved the two fights entereed into by Edmonton players Ty Emberson and Podkolzin.
“Podkolzin tonight, I saw what I think he can be. I believe it was his best game as an Edmonton Oiler…. Couple of reasons. Yeah, the fight’s nice… He put a pretty tough guy down on the ice. But what I loved is he understands his role beside Leon. And I think Leon’s going to really like playing with him because on the first shift, they were in the zone for a long time, then the puck goes to the wall. He (Pod) goes, wins the puck battle. Does he try to skate himself? No. ‘Where’s 29? Where’s the best player on the ice? I’ll pass it to him.’ Then Leon passes it back door.”
Strudwick continued: “In the first period, it was automatic. Podkoilzin is getting it, he’s like, ‘Where is 29? Oh, there he is, there he is.’… T o be fair, Skinner doesn’t always do that. Skinner either wants to skate it or try to make a harder pass. When you have the best player in the ice skating six feet from you, you give him the puck. So honestly I think this was a game where Leon’s gonna look around and say, ‘Hey, I like playing with this guy.’”
My take
1. That was the hardest punch I’ve seen thrown in Edmonton since Sheldon Souray was an Oiler.
2. After the gong show of the Holloway and Philip Broberg contract negotiations, the Oilers needs to conjure up some magic. The early returns on Podkolzin are solid, but it’s still early. Podkolzin may fade. He may get hurt. He may lose heart. It’s not easy playing the role of a hard-hitting, fighting forechecker in the NHL. But the Oilers are in desperate need of such a player just now with Evander Kane hurt and Holloway gone. Podkolzin has a great opportunity here.
3. In Pod’s favour, he has the look of a player who realizes that if he’s going to make it in the NHL, he’s got to understand his own game (hitting, checking, making the odd play, defending well) and execute at a high level night after night. He’s not going to make it as a big scorer, a top power play guy. But if he battles and skates hard and defends smartly, he might have the makings of a 10-year NHL career which could make him $20 or $30 million.
Podkolzin has the look of a player who has decided he’ll do what it takes that to have that career and make that money.
I’m liking what I’m seeing.
You?
Staples on politics
Alberta teacher training gets failing grade, but weakest students trending up in reading
At the Cult of Hockey
STAPLES: Draisaitl grades out highest in win over Predators
STAPLES: Positive signal from McDavid today
McCURDY: Oilers on a shallow foundation just now
McCURDY: Oilers shuffle lines, pairings, goalies, powerplay
McCURDY: McDavid out 2-3 weeks with ankle injury, Oilers announce
STAPLES: Oilers looking “more aggressively” for blueline help