It looks like the Oilers found their replacement for Dylan Holloway.

The restricted free agent signed a <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/the-oilers-have-decisions-to-make-after-blues-offer-sheet-two-up-and-coming-players">two-year, $2.29 million offer sheet with the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday</a> and the Oilers have seven days to decide whether to match or let him go in exchange for a third-round draft pick.
On Sunday, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-acquire-forward-vasily-podkolzin-from-canucks">the Oilers and Vancouver Canucks linked up for a trade</a> that saw former top prospect Vasili Podkolzin traded to Edmonton for a fourth-round pick. We don&#8217;t yet know if the Oilers intend to match the Holloway offer sheet but adding another young winger shortly before the deadline would indicate the team is planning to let him go.
The Canucks selected Podkolzin with the 10th overall selection in the 2019 draft, a couple of spots after the Oilers took defenceman Philip Broberg with their top pick. The Russian winger came into his draft season projected to be a top pick but wound up falling to Vancouver lower than expected. Here&#8217;s what scout <a class="text-accent" href="https://dobberprospects.com/prospect-deep-dive-vasili-podkolzin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jokke Nevalainen</a> said about Podkolzin in March of 2019&#8230;
<blockquote>&#8220;One of the most controversial prospects for the 2019 NHL Entry Draft is Vasili Podkolzin. He doesn’t have earth-shattering numbers but it’s hard to find anyone who doesn’t like his tools… What my eyes are telling me about Podkolzin is that he’s a power winger who works and competes extremely hard. He never quits on a play even when others do. If you don’t want to give your 100% playing against him, he’s going to win. He’s a well-rounded player who doesn’t cheat for offense but has lots of offensive abilities. He has good leadership qualities, and he leads by example on the ice. He’s capable of energizing the entire team with his play.&#8221;</blockquote>
Podkolzin remained in Russia for two seasons after he was drafted. Since he was a player destined for the NHL, the winger&#8217;s development wasn&#8217;t a priority for his club, the highly competitive SKA St. Petersburg. He scored eight points in 16 games in the VHL (Russia&#8217;s AHL equivalent) and eight points in 30 KHL games in 2019-20. Podkolzin only scored 11 points in 35 regular-season games in 2020-21 for SKA but broke out with 11 points in 16 games for the team in the playoffs.
The Canucks and Podkolzin agreed to a three-year, entry-level contract in May of 2021 and he cracked the big-league club in his first season in North America. The team got off to an 8-15-2 start in 2021-22 but went 32-15-10 the rest of the way after firing head coach Travis Green and replacing him with Bruce Boudreau.
Podkolzin was among Vancouver&#8217;s bright spots that season. The rookie finished in a tie for sixth on the team in goals with 14 and ninth in points with 26 while posting an impressive 10-to-5 goal differential playing alongside Elias Pettersson at even strength.
Since that strong debut campaign, Podkolzin hasn&#8217;t been able to produce at the NHL level. He came into the 2022-23 season expected to be a top-six winger for Vancouver but was sent to the American Hockey League for the first time after scoring just three points over 16 games in October and November.
Podkolzin scored seven goals and 18 points over 28 games playing for the Abbotsford Canucks and got called back up to Vancouver in February, a couple of weeks after Boudreau was fired and Rick Tocchet stepped in as coach. He suited up in 23 games the rest of the way and scored four goals, ultimately giving him seven points over 39 games for the season.
Vancouver sent Podkolzin to the AHL to start the 2023-24 season and he didn&#8217;t get called up to the NHL club until March. Podkolzin played well in Abbotsford and scored 15 goals and 28 points over 44 games but ultimately couldn&#8217;t crack through a deep and competitive forward group in Vancouver. He recorded two assists in 19 games with the Canucks down the stretch and suited up for only two of the team&#8217;s playoff games in the spring.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
An absolute rocket of a shot from Vasily Podkolzin on the power play. 🚨
It’s been a busy first period for Podz. He’s just an assist away from a Gordie Howe hat trick. <a href="https://t.co/Doko2SgOEz">pic.twitter.com/Doko2SgOEz</a>
&mdash; 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀 Faber 🔥 (@ChrisFaber39) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisFaber39/status/1751451020880928825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
When you put it all together, the five years that Podkolzin has played since being selected 10th overall in the draft has been a rollercoaster ride. He was a low-priority player in the KHL and played for three different coaches over three seasons with the Canucks, so Podkolzin&#8217;s development has unsurprisingly been stunted.
The Canucks and Podkolzin agreed to a two-year contract worth $1 million annually in April and he&#8217;ll be waiver eligible in 2024-25. Vancouver ultimately decided to get themselves a mid-round draft pick for a struggling prospect inherited from a previous front office rather than potentially losing him for nothing in October if he doesn&#8217;t crack the roster.
From Edmonton&#8217;s perspective, Podkolzin might not be as good as Holloway, but it&#8217;s easier to take a risk on him at a $1 million cap hit than it is to justify accepting a raise to $2.29 million for a player who isn&#8217;t established at the NHL level.
<h2>PRESENTED BY A&amp;W BURGERS TO BEAT MS</h2>
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Burgers to Beat MS Day is back, celebrating its 16th year on Thursday, August 22nd! For every Teen Burger sold on Burgers to Beat MS Day, $2 will be donated to Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Canada. In the lead-up to August 22nd, you can support Burgers to Beat MS by rounding up your bill with any purchase at an A&amp;W, donating online at <a href="https://protect2.fireeye.com/v1/url?k=31323334-501d2dca-313522a7-454455534531-40aa5d0ab3bcb1f2&amp;q=1&amp;e=1c37ead9-f913-40c0-ad4e-fbfd7cbfbea9&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fburgerstobeatms.ca%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://protect2.fireeye.com/v1/url?k%3D31323334-501d2dca-313522a7-454455534531-40aa5d0ab3bcb1f2%26q%3D1%26e%3D1c37ead9-f913-40c0-ad4e-fbfd7cbfbea9%26u%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fburgerstobeatms.ca%252F&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1722647447181000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1Ljh8dbD-2wE3__LJpDfFj">BurgersToBeatMS.ca</a> or through the <a href="https://protect2.fireeye.com/v1/url?k=31323334-501d2dca-313522a7-454455534531-48911376b4c8b2df&amp;q=1&amp;e=1c37ead9-f913-40c0-ad4e-fbfd7cbfbea9&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fweb.aw.ca%2Fen%2Forder" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://protect2.fireeye.com/v1/url?k%3D31323334-501d2dca-313522a7-454455534531-48911376b4c8b2df%26q%3D1%26e%3D1c37ead9-f913-40c0-ad4e-fbfd7cbfbea9%26u%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fweb.aw.ca%252Fen%252Forder&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1722647447181000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1XdB-iS3ue4kriagha3DUU">A&amp;W app</a>, or by adding a donation option to your cart when ordering A&amp;W on delivery apps like Uber Eats, DoorDash, and SkipTheDishes.

It looks like the Oilers found their replacement for Dylan Holloway.



The restricted free agent signed a <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/the-oilers-have-decisions-to-make-after-blues-offer-sheet-two-up-and-coming-players">two-year, $2.29 million offer sheet with the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday</a> and the Oilers have seven days to decide whether to match or let him go in exchange for a third-round draft pick.

On Sunday, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-acquire-forward-vasily-podkolzin-from-canucks">the Oilers and Vancouver Canucks linked up for a trade</a> that saw former top prospect Vasili Podkolzin traded to Edmonton for a fourth-round pick. We don't yet know if the Oilers intend to match the Holloway offer sheet but adding another young winger shortly before the deadline would indicate the team is planning to let him go.

The Canucks selected Podkolzin with the 10th overall selection in the 2019 draft, a couple of spots after the Oilers took defenceman Philip Broberg with their top pick. The Russian winger came into his draft season projected to be a top pick but wound up falling to Vancouver lower than expected. Here's what scout <a class="text-accent" href="https://dobberprospects.com/prospect-deep-dive-vasili-podkolzin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jokke Nevalainen</a> said about Podkolzin in March of 2019...
<blockquote>"One of the most controversial prospects for the 2019 NHL Entry Draft is Vasili Podkolzin. He doesn’t have earth-shattering numbers but it’s hard to find anyone who doesn’t like his tools… What my eyes are telling me about Podkolzin is that he’s a power winger who works and competes extremely hard. He never quits on a play even when others do. If you don’t want to give your 100% playing against him, he’s going to win. He’s a well-rounded player who doesn’t cheat for offense but has lots of offensive abilities. He has good leadership qualities, and he leads by example on the ice. He’s capable of energizing the entire team with his play."</blockquote>
Podkolzin remained in Russia for two seasons after he was drafted. Since he was a player destined for the NHL, the winger's development wasn't a priority for his club, the highly competitive SKA St. Petersburg. He scored eight points in 16 games in the VHL (Russia's AHL equivalent) and eight points in 30 KHL games in 2019-20. Podkolzin only scored 11 points in 35 regular-season games in 2020-21 for SKA but broke out with 11 points in 16 games for the team in the playoffs.

The Canucks and Podkolzin agreed to a three-year, entry-level contract in May of 2021 and he cracked the big-league club in his first season in North America. The team got off to an 8-15-2 start in 2021-22 but went 32-15-10 the rest of the way after firing head coach Travis Green and replacing him with Bruce Boudreau.

Podkolzin was among Vancouver's bright spots that season. The rookie finished in a tie for sixth on the team in goals with 14 and ninth in points with 26 while posting an impressive 10-to-5 goal differential playing alongside Elias Pettersson at even strength.

Since that strong debut campaign, Podkolzin hasn't been able to produce at the NHL level. He came into the 2022-23 season expected to be a top-six winger for Vancouver but was sent to the American Hockey League for the first time after scoring just three points over 16 games in October and November.

Podkolzin scored seven goals and 18 points over 28 games playing for the Abbotsford Canucks and got called back up to Vancouver in February, a couple of weeks after Boudreau was fired and Rick Tocchet stepped in as coach. He suited up in 23 games the rest of the way and scored four goals, ultimately giving him seven points over 39 games for the season.

Vancouver sent Podkolzin to the AHL to start the 2023-24 season and he didn't get called up to the NHL club until March. Podkolzin played well in Abbotsford and scored 15 goals and 28 points over 44 games but ultimately couldn't crack through a deep and competitive forward group in Vancouver. He recorded two assists in 19 games with the Canucks down the stretch and suited up for only two of the team's playoff games in the spring.

https://twitter.com/ChrisFaber39/status/1751451020880928825/

When you put it all together, the five years that Podkolzin has played since being selected 10th overall in the draft has been a rollercoaster ride. He was a low-priority player in the KHL and played for three different coaches over three seasons with the Canucks, so Podkolzin's development has unsurprisingly been stunted.

The Canucks and Podkolzin agreed to a two-year contract worth $1 million annually in April and he'll be waiver eligible in 2024-25. Vancouver ultimately decided to get themselves a mid-round draft pick for a struggling prospect inherited from a previous front office rather than potentially losing him for nothing in October if he doesn't crack the roster.

From Edmonton's perspective, Podkolzin might not be as good as Holloway, but it's easier to take a risk on him at a $1 million cap hit than it is to justify accepting a raise to $2.29 million for a player who isn't established at the NHL level.
<h2>PRESENTED BY A&amp;W BURGERS TO BEAT MS</h2>
<a href="https://protect2.fireeye.com/v1/url?k=31323334-501d2dca-313522a7-454455534531-40aa5d0ab3bcb1f2&amp;q=1&amp;e=1c37ead9-f913-40c0-ad4e-fbfd7cbfbea9&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fburgerstobeatms.ca%2F"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-158653 size-full" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2099/02/AW_MSCanada_co-branded_black.png" alt="" width="1009" height="196" /></a>

Burgers to Beat MS Day is back, celebrating its 16th year on Thursday, August 22nd! For every Teen Burger sold on Burgers to Beat MS Day, $2 will be donated to Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Canada. In the lead-up to August 22nd, you can support Burgers to Beat MS by rounding up your bill with any purchase at an A&amp;W, donating online at <a href="https://protect2.fireeye.com/v1/url?k=31323334-501d2dca-313522a7-454455534531-40aa5d0ab3bcb1f2&amp;q=1&amp;e=1c37ead9-f913-40c0-ad4e-fbfd7cbfbea9&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fburgerstobeatms.ca%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://protect2.fireeye.com/v1/url?k%3D31323334-501d2dca-313522a7-454455534531-40aa5d0ab3bcb1f2%26q%3D1%26e%3D1c37ead9-f913-40c0-ad4e-fbfd7cbfbea9%26u%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fburgerstobeatms.ca%252F&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1722647447181000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1Ljh8dbD-2wE3__LJpDfFj">BurgersToBeatMS.ca</a> or through the <a href="https://protect2.fireeye.com/v1/url?k=31323334-501d2dca-313522a7-454455534531-48911376b4c8b2df&amp;q=1&amp;e=1c37ead9-f913-40c0-ad4e-fbfd7cbfbea9&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fweb.aw.ca%2Fen%2Forder" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://protect2.fireeye.com/v1/url?k%3D31323334-501d2dca-313522a7-454455534531-48911376b4c8b2df%26q%3D1%26e%3D1c37ead9-f913-40c0-ad4e-fbfd7cbfbea9%26u%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fweb.aw.ca%252Fen%252Forder&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1722647447181000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1XdB-iS3ue4kriagha3DUU">A&amp;W app</a>, or by adding a donation option to your cart when ordering A&amp;W on delivery apps like Uber Eats, DoorDash, and SkipTheDishes.

Getting to know Vasily Podkolzin, the winger the Oilers acquired from the Canucks

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