How Good Can the Oilers Vasily Podkolzin Become Anyway?

Vasily Podkolzin has become one of the Edmonton Oilers’ early-season stories. He’s scored five goals in five games, added two assists, and just potted the game-winner in a 3–1 win over San Jose. He’s getting the chance to play alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and he’s making the most of it. That’s a pretty nice run. That said, it’s also only five games, so nobody should be pencilling in 82 games at this pace just yet.

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Podkolzin’s Development Has Been Steady and Surprising

The more useful question is what kind of player Podkolzin is when the puck stops bouncing in. Last season, he scored 19 goals and 37 points in 82 games. He also brought a physical game: he had 242 hits. That’s a meaningful step up from his first year in Edmonton, when he put up 24 points. He looks like a strong complementary winger. He can forecheck, win pucks, get to the net, and finish chances created by elite linemates. The early power-play points are a bonus, but his role and power-play time could change when injured teammates return.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of all is how easily he can keep up with the two Oilers’ megastars – McDavid and Draisaitl. It can’t be that easy, but the Russian winger is doing it.

Podkolzin Has Given the Oilers Far More Than Anyone Probably Expected

Oilers forward Podkolzin has taken huge steps forward since the Canucks traded him to Edmonton in August 2024 for a fourth-round pick. Since he arrived, he’s hard to play against, gets in on the forecheck, and comes up with pucks others might not get. He’s 25, already has a full season of solid production, and is signed for three years at a $2.95 million cap hit.

That’s a pretty useful deal if he can keep contributing in the top six, and Edmonton has him under contract through 2028–29. A team calling about him would likely have to offer more than a short-term rental’s price; Edmonton would be giving up a young, physical winger who fits beside its stars.

The Bottom Line: Podkolzin Might Not Be Finished Developing

So, how good is he? That might not be the final question. How good can he become?

He probably won’t become a 40-goal scorer just because he’s started hot. But he may be turning into exactly the kind of affordable, tough, useful winger contenders want. The Oilers have every reason to see where that goes before picking up the phone.

The bigger test is whether he can keep earning those prime minutes once the lineup gets healthier. But for right now, who’s going to bet against it?

Related: NHL Trade Talk Recap: Blackhawks, Maple Leafs, Flyers & Oilers