How Vasily Podkolzin became the Edmonton Oilers' biggest steal

The Edmonton Oilers found an absolute diamond in the rough when they traded for former 10th overall pick Vasily Podkolzin. After falling out of favor in Vancouver under Rick Tocchet’s coaching staff and seeing his ice time plummet to fourth-line minutes, Podkolzin completely revitalized his career in Edmonton. Host Nick Zararis breaks down how the young forward built trust with the coaching staff, climbed up the lineup, and developed elite chemistry alongside superstar Leon Draisaitl. A deep dive into the underlying analytics reveals that Podkolzin’s breakout season was built on remarkably sustainable 5-on-5 hockey. With 18 of his 19 goals coming at even strength, he posted upper-quartile NHL production without needing inflated power-play minutes. His relentless motor, physical presence, and aggressive forecheck allowed him to win puck battles and consistently set up high-danger scoring chances throughout the regular season and playoffs. Looking ahead to the upcoming season, the big question is how much more juice the Oilers can squeeze out of the Russian winger. While playing top-six minutes could elevate him toward the 20-to-25-goal plateau, his contract and versatile profile give Edmonton championship-level lineup flexibility. Whether he remains locked into Draisaitl’s wing or anchors a dominant third line, Podkolzin stands as one of the smartest buy-low acquisitions in recent franchise history. 06:02 Vancouver's handling of Podkolzin 07:00 Podkolzin's role and performance stats 11:36 Oilers' lineup improvements and player progress 13:21 Developing young NHL players 17:46 Podkolzin's scoring improvement analysis 21:46 Podkolzin's Journey to Top Line 26:21 Discussing Podkolzin's potential impact 27:27 Podkolzin's growth and appreciation How Vasily Podkolzin became the Edmonton Oilers' biggest steal Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Odoo Great organizations win because operations matter. And that’s why you should get Odoo. Try for free today at https://Odoo.com/lockedon. Indeed Now, you can speed up your hiring process with a $75 Sponsored Job Credit. Just go to https://indeed.com/podcast right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply. FanDuel Get three hundred fifty dollars in Bonus Bets — GUARANTEED — when you bet five dollars every day for seven days. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COM FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.