Oilers’ Draisaitl Praises Vasily Podkolzin Amidst Looming Contract Negotiations

“Podzy does a lot of things that a lot of people that don’t really understand hockey, they don’t see it,” Draisaitl stated. He continued: “He does a lot of that work for me, and it lets me have a lot of time with the puck and sets me up in great situations where I lack that in my game.” He added that Podkolzin was someone he loved playing with and said that he was a great player.

Podkolzin is entering the second season of his two-year deal that has a $1 million cap hit, and while he didn’t have the offensive outbreak that some fans were looking for in the top-six role he played in last season, he did things away from the puck that have justified giving him a long-term extension and a nice pay raise.

What Could Podkolin’s Next Deal Look Like?

Last season, Podkolzin played all 82 games, scoring eight goals and adding 16 assists for 24 points, which comes out to a 0.29 points-per-game average. In 22 playoff games, he scored three goals and added seven assists for 10 points. Throughout his short career so far, he has played 219 games, scoring 26 goals and adding 33 assists for 59 points, which comes out to a 0.27 points-per-game average.

The style that Podkolzin plays with is unique, and it complements Draisaitl almost perfectly. Draisaitl is often the last man in the offensive zone and plays the role of being the supporting forward, while Podkolzin is often the first man on the forecheck and is often able to fish pucks out and create opportunities for his linemates.

He seemed to lack some confidence with the puck on his stick last season, which led to his surprising lack of point production, but he will still earn a pay raise on his next deal. The Oilers will likely focus on getting an extension done for McDavid before they pivot to their other players, including Podkolzin and several others who are eligible for an extension, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Podkolzin earned a similar deal to what Trent Frederic recently received.

If I had to guess, Podkolzin will sign a long-term extension, at least six years, at around $3 million annually. With his style of play and the potential to explode offensively at any time, keeping him around at that price could look like a steal as soon as next season. Time will tell what a new deal looks like, but it seems inevitable that he will stick around with the Oilers for the long run, especially after some serious praise from Draisaitl.

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