Breakout Alert: Vasily Podkolzin
Edmonton's offseason flier is paying off
Upon hearing that the Oilers had traded for Vasily Podkolzin in mid-August, these were my initial thoughts:
The former 10th overall pick has done my projection one better by securing a supporting role in Edmonton’s top six. Is he producing like a top-six forward? No, he’s sitting on 14 points in 40 games. But after yo-yoing in and out of the Canucks’ lineup over the past few years, he appears to have become an NHL regular—and next to Hart Trophy candidate Leon Draisaitl, no less.
Here’s how.
Puck Pursuit
Without difference-making raw talent, Podkolzin’s fate was always going to revolve around pace. More than simply winning straight-line sprints every now and then, he needs to buzz around the puck night in and night out.
That’s precisely what he’s offering Edmonton’s coaching staff in his first year with the club:
Pay attention to the bottom two rows. This is a winger whose average playing speed is much faster than the competition’s—especially when his team isn’t in possession. As the Oilers’ F1, he often turns retrievals into 50/50s through sheer hustle. There’s an urgency to his game that wasn’t quite as apparent in Vancouver. It’s almost like he understands the magnitude of this opportunity.
Moreover, his official weight (190 lbs) seems…wrong. He looks closer to 6’1”, 210 pounds in the trenches, using his bowling-ball physique to manhandle defenders in shoulder-to-shoulder clashes. Due to his low and wide stance, he readily digs under your frame and knocks you off your spot.
In short, Podkolzin (EDM 92) has given the Oilers a high-motor forechecker who barrels through rather than flying by blueliners:
Since he keeps his shifts short (8th among Oilers forwards), he’s flooring it every time he’s out there. He leads Edmonton’s forward corps in hits by a country mile and can pack a wallop in the corners. He refuses to quit on any puck that’s in the vicinity. Hell, his work rate even puts Zach Hyman to shame.
Although few would describe Podkolzin as a cerebral player, he also shows a good feel for Edmonton’s forechecking lanes. If he can’t arrive in time to jar the puck loose himself, he’ll fence off his side of the ice and guide the opposition straight into his teammates. Still at a breakneck pace, naturally. His style is predicated on controlled chaos—and it’s gifted the second line a wealth of touches.
Watch how his activity level overwhelms Michael Kesselring (UTA 7):
The rearguard is focused entirely on the impending collision and fares well in that regard. Podkolzin’s only concern is the puck. In this case, ensuring that Kesselring can’t move it. He takes a lick in order to pin the play to the wall and then swarms the defender before his fourth scrape at the puck ultimately deposits it onto Draisaitl’s (EDM 29) stick behind the cage.
While he’s no stranger to hard work, he’s going the extra mile this season. He’s entering these engagements with purpose and leaning in that much closer to the fire:
Radko Gudas (ANA 7) keeps expecting him to let up. He doesn’t, dipping to extend further, dislodge the puck twice and send Viktor Arvidsson (EDM 33) in alone on Lukas Dostal (ANA 1).
By playing with such jam, he can pull the odd rabbit out of a hat as well:
The odds of holding the blue line are stacked against him here. He has to concede ground and undercut Alex Laferriere (LA 14) before regaining it to stifle Phillip Danault’s (LA 24) link-up pass. This puck gets out 95% of the time, but Podkolzin wills his way to a keep-in that enables Draisaitl to orchestrate from the high slot.
The 23-year-old is unlikely to make many sizzle reels this year. Edmonton didn’t acquire him for that anyway. As long as his ferocious puck pursuit stays the course, the Oilers are in the black:
The value of Podkolzin’s heft and hunger could very well skyrocket in a best-of-seven setting too. He’s built to grind you to a pulp. To wear on you over the long haul, when each puck battle balloons in importance.
Considering Edmonton’s Stanley Cup aspirations, that prospect is tantalizing.
Net-Front Offense
Podkolzin’s puck skills (i.e. shooting, playmaking, stick-handling) are indeed nothing to write home about. He compensates for those OZ deficiencies by flooding the opposition’s home plate.
I noted earlier that he appears to weigh 210 pounds rather than 190 when he’s mucking it up down low. In the goalmouth, tack on another 10. Combine that with excellent mobility and determination, and you get a freight train who’s virtually unstoppable once he sets his sights on the deep slot:
Check out not only Podkolzin’s location in this video but also the extent to which defenders struggle to contest it.
To be clear, his net-front arsenal remains unpolished. It’s more brute force than expert craft at the moment. He’s posing serious problems for the opposition regardless, initiating contact right before a point shot arrives to earn mini-advantages in tight. On the strength of, well…his strength, he’s the first to react to bounces around the blue ice.
On nights when he hears the crease calling his name—and those have been frequent in 2024-25—there’s little you can do to repel him. Edmonton’s tilt vs. Utah on New Year’s Eve was a prime example:
As the Oilers operate on the perimeter, Podkolzin duels Nick Bjugstad (UTA 17) for the inside track, powering toward the lip of the crease and driving through his counterpart’s chest. That’s a 6’5”, 205-pound behemoth being tossed aside like he’s a toddler.
Granted, his shortcomings are noticeable here as well. Facing a far-side slapper, he should hang in there to cast a larger shadow, prime his body for a backhand tip or both.
Here’s a clip in which his close-quarters skill set comes together:
Podkolzin shoulder-checks to gather what he’s dealing with ahead of Evan Bouchard’s (EDM 2) point shot. Ian Cole (UTA 28) is aiming to engage, so the Russian strikes first to give himself a crack at a deflection and recovery. Consequently, he’s able to fish the puck out to Mattias Ekholm (EDM 14) for a laser from the top of the circle.
Instead of lighting the lamp himself (4 goals this year), the current iteration of Podkolzin will by and large thrive on creating havoc for his teammates.
A Valeri Nichushkin development path seems doubtful. With tailored guidance and additional reps, though, a poor man’s version of Nuke (e.g. a 20-goal net-front specialist) could rise to the surface.
Defense
If you want to earn your stripes as a glue guy, defense is non-negotiable. Podkolzin has accepted those terms. In fact, he’s embedded them into his on-ice identity to deliver the most responsible outings of his career.
Thanks to his boundless energy and hunched-over skating stance, he can play fast, long and physical hockey across the entire surface. He’s perpetually in your grill or nipping at your heels. Even in limited minutes (13:09 per game), his three-zone forcefulness has helped to patch up the structure of a team that relies on outscoring its blemishes:
Podkolzin’s coverage reads and anticipation are ordinary. Consequently, tempo is everything once again. He can’t afford to take his foot off the gas. Whether he’s applying back pressure, filling shooting lanes or attacking the puck head on, he does so while sprinting his ass off.
When you factor in sharp timing on his stick checks, you end up with a quite a disruptive winger.
Watch how often he churns his legs to foil the opposition’s plans from behind:
Playing with Edmonton’s subpar depth defensemen sometimes requires second and third efforts from the forwards. Podkolzin is up for that challenge too:
After squeezing out Logan Cooley (UTA 92) along the wall, he peels off to swarm Dylan Guenther (UTA 11), blocking the drop pass with his foot. Ty Emberson (EDM 49) recovers but opts for…cutesy nonsense in the slot. As Guenther raises his eyes to survey his options, Podkolzin barrels back into the picture and clears the puck. Edmonton survives.
Finally, there’s his willingness to sacrifice his body. He’ll tear across the DZ to eat a bullet from the point, shake it off and crowd the crosshairs once more without hesitation. He’s fearless and built thick to boot:
While there aren’t any Selkes in his future, he’s establishing himself as a dependable everyday forward whose speed and persistence squash offenses before they can blossom. His hustle has even propelled him into the PK rotation. All told, Edmonton concedes very few high-danger chances or goals during his shifts:
That’s phenomenal impact from a castoff.
As much as the hockey world is raving about Draisaitl’s defensive improvement—and to his credit, his commitment to playing without the puck has spiked relative to previous seasons—partnering him with an all-gas, no-brakes winger has also made a world of difference. It’s a hell of a lot easier to produce tidy hockey when most of the mess has been sorted by the time you reach the scene.
Does a forward pacing for 28 points really qualify as a breakout player? Podkolzin does because he had to fight tooth and nail to see the ice in Vancouver. Now he’s a top-six piece on a contender, and there’s more potential to mine yet.
In the meantime, the 25-12-3 Oilers will enjoy their new bulldozer.
Almost free of charge.
All the Oilers fans who I talk to, really love Podkolzin, the fact that he’s always attacking at the net is a big reason why. As you said when you get to play on the same line as Draisaitl then your play improves as well.
Excellent write up.