Trading Underpaid Winger Midseason Would Be a Major Mistake for Oilers

The idea of trading one of Edmonton’s key young top-nine (maybe even top-six) wingers midseason, as recently hinted at by Allan Mitchell of The Athletic when he brought up Vasily Podkolzin‘s name as trade bait, feels like a step backward for a team trying to balance Cup contention with long-term stability.

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In a recent post, Mitchell acknowledged the chemistry Podkolzin had with Leon Draisaitl and applauded his underlying numbers. However, he also wrote:

“…Podkolzin’s offence has been inconsistent during his young NHL career, and with [Isaac] Howard and [Matt] Savoie both pushing for time on the skill lines, the big Russian will need to remain productive on the No. 2 line. If he falters, an NHL team may ask after him, and Bowman could cash in his young winger for help elsewhere.”

I’m often in agreement with Mitchell’s takes, but on this one, I can’t see a situation where Edmonton would want to do anything except sign Podkolzin to an early extension.

Podkolzin Deserves Better Than to Be Trade Bait for the Oilers

Podkozlin earned his spot alongside Draisaitl last season, outperforming expectations and bumping a veteran like Jeff Skinner out of the lineup. His five-on-five production—2.17 points per 60 with a 59 percent goal share—was among the best on the team. Giving up on that kind of chemistry and potential now, especially for a short-term return, would echo the very mistakes Edmonton has worked to correct.

It’s not often that a team lands on found money. That’s what Podkolzin is. A castaway from the Vancouver Canucks, he’s making $1 million this season before becoming an RFA. He’s under team control, he’s young, tenacious, skilled, and by most accounts, the hardest-working forward on the team. He’s early to every practice by a mile, and he stays late, while staying extremely coachable. You don’t bail on that kind of upside at such a low cost, especially when the organization badly needs value deals on the books.

General manager Stan Bowman has spent his first year of his run at the top trying to replenish a depleted prospect pool left behind by a decade of dealing away youth for rentals. Trading one of his own acquisitions this early would run counter to that effort, particularly with promising but unproven players like Ike Howard and Savoie still fighting for full-time NHL roles. It seems more likely that those two would struggle before Podkolzin would. Especially given that, even if Podkolzin isn’t scoring, he brings another element with his physicality and compete level.

Unless this winger drastically underperforms, there’s no sensible reason to cut bait. Edmonton simply can’t afford to sacrifice another young asset for short-term gain—not when he’s already shown he can deliver.

Next: Without Trade, Oilers May be Forced to Overpay on Ekholm Extension