When Stan Bowman acquired Vasily Podkolzin for a fourth-round pick in August of 2024, the move raised eyebrows across the hockey world. Tension had been building all week as the Edmonton Oilers’ decision on the dual offer sheets signed by Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg drew near. Was Podkolzin the club’s budget replacement for Holloway?

The Canucks selected Podkolzin 10th overall in the 2019 Draft, but he fell out of favour in the organization after a couple of challenging campaigns. Across his final two seasons in Vancouver, he put up just nine points in 58 games. The underlying numbers didn’t paint the most flattering picture either. In sheltered minutes, he managed only a 35.7 per cent goal share and 49.6 per cent expected goal share in 2023-24.

The Oilers bought low on the 22-year-old prospect and elected not to match the Holloway offer sheet, cementing Podkolzin as a key young piece among their aging forward core.

The move wasn’t popular at first, especially given Holloway’s breakout the following season, but Podkolzin underwent an evolution of his own. He scored 24 points in 82 games and followed it up with an impressive playoff run en route to a Western Conference title. In 2025-26, Podkolzin’s rise continued, and he achieved career highs in goals, assists, points, and hits.

According to HockeyViz, Podkolzin had a net positive impact on five-on-five scoring for the first time in his career, and his defensive impact ranked 13 per cent above league average. It was his best season by nearly every metric, and he developed excellent chemistry next to Leon Draisaitl on the second line.

In 591 minutes together, Podkolzin and Draisaitl achieved an elite goal share of 61.7 per cent — a stark contrast from their minutes apart, where Podkolzin had a 50 per cent goal share, and Draisaitl a 48.1 per cent.

The fit makes sense stylistically. Draisaitl has a history of success playing with forecheckers who can dig pucks out of the corner and get the cycle started. Podkolzin matches that description to a tee. The two will likely be stapled together long-term in the same way Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman are on the first line.

Draisaitl isn’t the only superstar Podkolzin drove positive results with, however. He got an opportunity to play with McDavid when Draisaitl went down with an injury, and once again, he complemented his centreman well. At the end of the season, he had a 66.7 per cent goal share in his minutes alongside McDavid.

Podkolzin carried that late-season momentum into the playoffs for the second straight year. He led the Oilers in expected goal share and ranked third on the team in playoff scoring. In 26 career playoff games with Edmonton, he’s now notched 16 points, despite getting effectively no power play time. His fast, rugged playstyle and responsible defensive game have elevated his impact in the postseason.

As Podkolzin enters his mid-twenties, we’re soon going to find out what the ceiling is for the former top-10 pick. At one point, he seemed to be headed towards bust territory, but he’s carved out a role in Edmonton, and it really feels like his best days are still yet to come. His workman-like game has already endeared him to the Oilers fanbase, and it will make him an effective player for a long time.

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