One Oilers Trade Looks Like a Steal. The Other Might Be Even Better

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The Edmonton Oilers are 5-0-1, and two low-cost trades are a big reason why. Vasily Podkolzin has seven goals in six games and is starting to look like a legitimate top-six option. There will be questions about whether the Oilers should move him off that line when Zach Hyman returns, and a real argument not to. Meanwhile, Devon Levi has been outstanding in goal. He’s undefeated on the season, doing something a goalie in Edmonton hasn’t done since… Mikko Koskinen.

Both trades were absolute home runs for the organization, but which was better?

Related: McDavid Has 17 Points, but a Red-Hot Podkolzin Complicates Oilers’ Plans

The Podkolzin Trade

Edmonton acquired Vasily Podkolzin from Vancouver for Ottawa’s 2025 fourth-round pick. That was a small price for a player the Canucks took 10th overall in 2019. Vancouver had given up on the winger, and the Oilers looked at him as a possible reclamation project with little downside. Two years later, he’s been signed to a team-friendly extension that may look like one of the team’s most valuable contracts.

He scored two more goals in Tuesday’s 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings, bringing his season total to seven and extending his six-game point streak, a career best. What the Oilers like most about him is his work ethic. He remains the first guy on the ice and the last guy off. He plays a solid two-way game, makes few mistakes, and he’s relentless. His skill is finally catching up to his efforts and the Oilers have stumbled onto a potential 30-goal guy.

The Levi Trade

The Oilers sent the Buffalo Sabres their 2028 third-round pick for Devon Levi, and also received a 2028 seventh-rounder. Levi spent all of last season in the AHL. Now he’s 3-0 in his last three starts with a 1.34 goals-against average and a .956 save percentage, and he stopped 39 of 40 shots in Los Angeles.

This is as steady as a goaltender has looked for the Oilers in years. Connor McDavid credited Levi’s calming presence and said that his timely saves are “half the battle in goaltending.” Levi appears to have already won the starting job in Edmonton, where the Oilers are also hoping Tristan Jarry can bounce back.

Which Trade Was Better?

Team Podkolzin: the sample is bigger. He’s produced for a while, but it looks like his offensive explosion is coming this season. The trade cost almost nothing, and a goal-scorer playing next to McDavid is a clear win. As Hyman ages, it looks like Pods naturally slotting into that spot will be seamless.

Team Levi: goalie is the most important position, and it’s been the Oilers’ biggest problem for years. If he holds this level, he changes what the team can do. Levi’s run is only a few starts, and he’s had a rough night already. Podkolzin’s streak, meanwhile, will cool off at some point.

So which one would you rather have? A forward who has already proven himself, or a goalie who could be the answer?

Next: Ex-GM Was Angry at Oilers Trade Offer. Who Is the Modern Version?