Oilers sign Vasily Podkolzin to three-year extension

The Edmonton Oilers have signed forward Vasily Podkolzin to a three-year contract extension, the club announced Tuesday.

The 24-year-old’s new deal, which will kick in for the 2026-27 season, carries a $2.95-million cap hit. He was slated to be a restricted free agent after this season in which he’ll play out the final year of a two-year, $1-million AAV deal.

Podkolzin was acquired by the Oilers in August 2024 from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round draft pick. He drew in for all 82 regular season games, scoring eight goals and 24 points, adding another three goals and 10 points in 22 playoff games. His tenacious style of play endeared him to Oilers fans quickly, as his 211 hits led the team by a 50-hit margin.

According to HockeyViz, Podkolzin drove offence at a three percent rate above league average and defence at an 11 percent rate above league average, with his contributions equating to those of a second-line player.

With him on the ice at five-on-five last year, the Oilers controlled 56.89 percent of the shot attempt share, 58.45 percent of the expected goal share, and 56.9 percent of the scoring chance share, but was narrowly outscored 41-39. In his 1007 five-on-five minutes, his most common linemate was Leon Drasiaitl, with who he played 497 of those minutes with.

His most likely contract extension, according to Evolving Hockey, was for him to sign a two-year, $1.983-million contract with a 36 percent chance of it occurring. A three-year term had a 12 percent chance of being signed, with a projected cap hit of $2.204-million.

Drafted by the Canucks 10th overall in the 2019 draft, he struggled to find a home with the team after a solid rookie season in 2021-22, where he scored 14 goals and 26 points. He would split time over the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons between the NHL and AHL, scoring four goals and nine points in 58 big league games, and 22 goals and 46 points in 72 AHL games.