Oilers 2024-25 Report Cards: Vasily Podkolzin

As the offseason rolls on, so do the Edmonton Oilers’ player grades. The last report card graded Corey Perry, and now we move on to Vasily Podkolzin. The Oilers acquired Podkolzin in August 2024 from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick, in what was Edmonton’s most underrated move of the offseason. With a $1 million cap hit, he provided incredible value last season and will become a restricted free agent (RFA) after this season.

The Russian winger recorded eight goals and 24 points with a plus-1 rating, averaging 13:13 of ice time. He played all 82 games and was Leon Draisaitl’s linemate for the majority of the campaign. He added another three goals and 10 points in 22 playoff games with a plus-7 rating, averaging 11:02 per game. This was only his second full NHL season, but he had played parts of four seasons, spending time in the American Hockey League (AHL). With that said, he had a solid 2024-25 and was better than expected.

Podkolzin’s Offence Was the Only Downside

Considering he was often Draisaitl’s linemate, his lack of offence was surprising. Despite that, he was still an effective player. He does everything right except score. He’s a tenacious forechecker, he’s a solid penalty killer, he’s physical, and he provides energy every shift. The 24-year-old has an astounding work ethic, and he never has a bad game. He’s consistently solid all around, and you know what you’re going to get with him.

His style is similar to Zach Hyman, and that’s someone to mould your game after. The only difference between their games is Hyman’s offensive instincts. Hyman is a goalscorer, but it took him some time to reach that level. He was drafted in 2010 but didn’t make his debut until 2015-16, and didn’t score over 20 goals until 2019-20, his 26-year-old season. That provides optimism for Podkolzin, because he’s only 24 and still has upside.

He must work on his shot this offseason and become a volume shooter. He only registered 114 shots last season and had a measly 7.0 percent shooting percentage (S%). His S% was higher in the playoffs at 16.7 percent, but he only registered 18 shots in 22 games. He needs to shoot the puck more, and if he does, he will create more opportunities. If he can improve his offensive game, he will become a complete package and make the Oilers even more dangerous.

Podkolzin’s Overall Grade

Podkolzin was a physical beast during the regular season, leading the team with 211 hits, 50 more than the second. He was 24th in the league in that category. He was also used on the penalty kill, spending 60:04 of ice time in those situations. Draisaitl works well with him because he wins puck battles, which creates opportunities for the German superstar. Therefore, the 6-foot-1, 190-pounder remained in the top six despite his limited production. Out of his eight goals, Draisaitl assisted on four of them. He was healthy all season and provided consistency throughout the campaign. Therefore, he gets a B- for his regular season. If he produced more offence, his grade would be much higher, but he was still an effective player.