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The Vancouver Canucks traded forward Vasily Podkolzin to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft on Sunday evening. Podkolzin, 23, was in the midst of settling into his new Vancouver apartment when he received the unexpected news.
“My wife and I were driving to IKEA to look at furniture for our new apartment when the Canucks’ General Manager called and said I had been traded to Edmonton,” Podkolzin recalled in an interview with rq.com. “We talked briefly and thanked each other. Then the Oilers’ general manager called and said they were waiting for me on the team.”
"My wife and I were driving to IKEA to look at furniture for our new apartment when the Canucks general manager called and said I had been traded to Edmonton," Podkolzin told RG.orgexclusively on Monday. "We talked briefly and thanked each other.”
— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) August 19, 2024
The young winger admitted that the trade came as a surprise, marking his first experience with such a move in his career.
“Of course, I was shocked by the trade,” Podkolzin said. “Now I’ve realized it. I want to continue preparing for the season and arrive at the new team in good shape. It’s important to fit in; Edmonton is assembling a good team. I hope I can help them win.”
Podkolzin had a modest showing during the 2023-24 regular season with the Canucks, recording two assists in 19 games. He also appeared in two playoff games for Vancouver, though he did not register any points. Most of his season was spent with the Abbotsford Canucks in the AHL, where he tallied 15 goals and 28 points in 44 games.
The Canucks originally selected Podkolzin in the first round, 10th overall, of the 2019 NHL Draft. At 6’1″, the left-shot Russian winger showed promise early in his career but struggled to secure a permanent spot in Vancouver’s lineup.
Reflecting on the trade, Podkolzin expressed a mix of practicality and optimism.
“I’ve been in Vancouver for two weeks now. I had a settled life here, but the NHL is a business, and a trade can happen anytime. This trade is a good opportunity for me as a player. I want to play and win as much as possible; that’s the main thing. I’ll be flying to Edmonton soon, I think in two weeks. Now, my wife and I will sort out all the daily issues in Vancouver, and then we’ll get ready for the new place.”
Vasily Podkolzin will wear #92 for the Oilers, last worn by Tomas Jurco. Ty Emberson will wear #49, last worn by Tyler Benson.
— Oilers Access (@oilersaccess) August 19, 2024
Canucks’ General Manager Patrik Allvin also weighed in on the transaction, thanking Podkolzin for his contributions to the team.
“We would like to thank Vasily for his time here with the Canucks. Podz put in a lot of work both on and off the ice, and we wish him all the best in Edmonton,” Allvin said in a statement on Sunday.
Podkolzin now looks to make his mark with the Oilers as Edmonton continues to build a team with its sights set on success and hopes of returning to the Stanley Cup Final.
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Canadiens Can Weaponize Salary Cap to Become Cup Contender
The Montreal Canadiens entered the 2025-26 season with expectations to contend for the playoffs. After an 8-3-0 start, they sit at the top of the Atlantic Division. While that may not be sustainable, it does point to a team that should make the playoffs. The bottom line, are the Canadiens Stanley Cup contenders already? The easy answer, no. While they aren’t favourites for the silver chalice, they are close, so what is missing, and why is the salary cap management by general manager (GM) Kent Hughes the biggest reason why they will become contenders? Canadiens Seek Contender Status Outside of a handful of players, the Canadiens lack the playoff experience teams rely on. As a young team, they still have a lot to prove in the postseason. As the cliché goes, they may need to learn to lose in the playoffs before they can win. Next up is the pace they are winning. After 11 games, they have a .727 points percentage (P%), which is a massive leap from their .555 P% from the 2024-25 season, where they earned a playoff berth. The pace they are on now might be unsustainable, but banking points early in the season will help them when they do hit a slump later in the season. It should keep them in the playoff picture without needing the desperate push they needed last season to qualify. But the early-season excitement, including dramatic overtime victories, will help fuel the young roster over the longer term. There are also depth challenges. Injuries, like the ones to Kaiden Guhle and Patrik Laine, are already challenging the club and forcing head coach Martin St. Louis to make adjustments. Thankfully, Jayden Struble has been able to play the right side on a pairing with Lane Hutson, which has allowed the 2025 Calder Trophy winner to continue playing his offensive game. Forward Ivan Demidov has been finding his stride offensively with nine points, leading all NHL rookies in points and is still the Calder Trophy favourite. Yet, any more injuries, especially to key players, will stretch the team thin as the remaining American Hockey League (AHL) call-ups are still not fully NHL-ready. It’s not likely they can keep up the pace they’re currently on, which would see them finish the season with 119 points. It’s one thing to perform in October, yet once the early-season jitters and excitement wear off, that’s where experience can take over from raw skill or enthusiasm. With the injuries, but most of all, without a clear-cut second-line centre, Montreal will have trouble staying at the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Montreal is the youngest team in the NHL, and because of that, and their early performances, they are considered a promising young team, but are not yet viewed as a top-tier Stanley Cup contender. That need for a second-line centre could be solved internally, as they have a possible solution with University of Michigan star Michael Hage, who is at an almost two points per game pace early in the season. However, he is going to take several seasons before reaching his potential and filling that role. Instead, the need for a centre will have to be addressed via trade. Their potential to become true contenders is not only based on the expectation for continued development of their young core players but also because of the depth of prospects, draft picks and most of all, salary cap flexibility. Canadiens’ Cap Situation The Canadiens have just over $4 million in cap space early in the 2025-26 season, which is going to grow to over $18 million at the trade deadline. But with the new rules that state NHL teams must dress lineups within the salary cap during the Stanley Cup Playoffs starting this season, they will, in reality, have just under $9 million available for use on their roster. But moving forward, the salary cap is expected to skyrocket. The NHL’s projections expect to see a rise from $95.5 million in 2025-26 to $104 million in 2026-27. That is just the beginning, as it is expected to make a significant leap again in 2027-29 to over $113.5 million, where the Canadiens project to have over $65 million in space to fill their roster. They have several young core players like Nick Suzuki, Hutson, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky locked up long-term and all for under market value. However, they do still have the space to address future contracts for players like Demidov. Weaponizing Cap Space This is why Hughes’ focus on cap management is going to be a major reason as to why Montreal is poised to be a contender. Sergey Pryakhin of RG.org analyzed the payroll structures of the last 12 Stanley Cup champions, identified key patterns behind their success, and spending against the cap was an obvious factor. Using 93.4% of total cap space spent as a benchmark, we can look at the Canadiens. The Canadiens are currently at 95.8%, but spending isn’t the only factor; roster construction is one as well. Where that money is spent matters. For Hughes, he will have more room to maneuver, as the cap is rising, but also as there are veteran contracts expiring. There are still some high cap hits for players in depth roles, particularly Brendan Gallagher ($6.5 million) and Josh Anderson ($5.5 million), who will come off the books following the 2026-27 season, freeing up $12 million, which is a substantial amount of cap space. With the salaries of players skyrocketing well past $10 million, that amount of cap space gained would be enough to afford a point-per-game player like Martin Necas, who signed with the Colorado Avalanche for $11.5 million. Why this matters for Montreal is that they have the space and the known need for a centre. More importantly, they are going to be dealing with far more sellers than were available last season, as teams that are on the playoff bubble by the American Thanksgiving weekend will be more willing to sell assets because of two words, Gavin McKenna. Because of this, the market for centres is starting to heat up with names like Nazem Kadri causing a stir, and Alexander Wennberg flying under the radar, but still being mentioned as potential trade bait. For Hughes, these players do have some appeal. But finding the right second-line centre, one with an affordable, yet shorter-term contract, will be pivotal for their immediate and mid-term success. Either way, it should be an exciting season for Montreal fans with lots of rumours and maybe even a deal or two.
Raiders’ Mark Davis Sends Message Every Fan Needed to Hear
The Las Vegas Raiders have the best defensive player in the National Football League, in Maxx Crosby. Crosby has been a force to deal with over the last few years. He has been all over the quarterbacks he has faced during that time. He loves to play the game and do it for the Silver and Black. That has been his team since day one, and the team that believed in him, when no one else gave him his opportunity. Crosby is the face of the Raiders franchise, and he wants to win as badly as anyone for this organization. He is having another good season in 2025 and is looking to get better and create more chaos in the backfield for the offense. He is one of a kind, and the Raiders need to do a better job of putting a good team around him to capitalize on what type of player Crosby is. Raiders Owner Mark Davis on Maxx Crosby "Asked about interest in Crosby and the team's decision not to trade him, Raiders owner Mark Davis told NFL.com he doesn't understand why people keep asking," said NFL Insider Ian Rapoport. "I don't know how many times I've got to say it," Davis said this past week following the Fall League Meeting in New York. "It's really hard to keep getting asked the same question every month or week or whatever when the answer's going to stay the same. I don't know why anybody would think I'd change my mind or the organization would." This past offseason, the Raiders signed Crosby to a three-year, $106.5 million extension through the 2029 campaign. Davis knows it's natural for teams to take a look around the league and covet what isn't theirs. However, he said "everything about Maxx is awesome" and he doesn't see him leaving. "Everybody wants to have your great players," Davis said. "It starts there, it doesn't start with us." Crosby has also made it very clear that he wants to stay with the Silver and Black and win in Las Vegas. But it is a question that is always asked because of the bad product the Raiders are putting on the field. The Raiders will get to soon if they made the right adjustments during their bye week, in Week 9 agiant the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Three teams that should pursue a trade for Titans WR Calvin Ridley
As the Tennessee Titans are free falling towards another season as one of the NFL's worst teams, they will likely sell off some of their higher priced players before the NFL's Nov. 4 trade deadline. Wide receiver Calvin Ridley tops the list of available players on the trade block even as he deals with a hamstring injury. Ridley's big play ability makes him an attractive option for teams looking to add another wide receiver. Even though he's been experiencing an up and down season so far - Ridley has only 16 receptions for 290 yards, he surpassed 1,000 yards in each of the past two seasons following sitting out 2022 due to being suspended for betting. So assuming Ridley is healthy enough to remain a trade target, here are the teams that should take a chance on the controversial wide out. Pittsburgh Steelers Aaron Rodgers may have stabilized the Steelers' quarterback position, but that doesn't mean the offense is as consistent as it needs to be for Pittsburgh to truly contend in the AFC. Pittsburgh has only exceeded 30 points twice through seven games. Desperate to increase their offensive output, especially with the defense struggling, the Steelers could use more receiver depth behind DK Metcalf. Acquiring Ridley would provide Rodgers another weapon and make the decision to place double coverage on Metcalf more of a risk for opponents. If Ridley can get back to form, he would unlock an extra dimension for a Steelers team that still holds a comfortable lead in the AFC North. New England Patriots One of the surprising results of the season so far, the Patriots are 6-2 and in first place in the AFC East. But if New England truly hopes to make a playoff push, second-year quarterback Drake Maye may need more at his disposal. To this point, Maye has been forced to work without a true deep threat. And while he's been able to methodically move the ball, Ridley would make his life much easier and stretch the field even more. Seattle Seahawks Another first place team who could use another playmaker, the Seattle Seahawks' offense has started to show signs of weakness in recent weeks. Much like the Steelers, the Seahawks have a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for October. He's been brilliant with three-straight 100 plus-yard games. However, Seattle has only scored 30 points once in its last four games. Pairing Smith-Njigba with Ridley would make the Seahawks more potent as they approach a stretch of the schedule with pivotal divisional matchups coming up.
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Dexter Lawrence blasts Giants legend Carl Banks after harsh criticisms
Shortly after the New York Giants fell to 2-6 on the season via a 38-20 loss at the Philadelphia Eagles this past Sunday, Giants legend and current radio color commentator Carl Banks offered some harsh criticisms of Big Blue star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Lawrence fired back at Banks. Dexter Lawrence rips "delusional" Carl Banks "He’s delusional," Lawrence said about Banks, per Darryl Slater of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. "Yeah, those were strong words, but if that’s how he feels, f--- it. “I don’t really know what he’s watching, but he can say what he wants,” Lawrence said. “I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing, trying to help us get a win. That’s it.” Specifically, Banks claimed that the game film shows that "nobody respects" Lawrence anymore. Banks also ripped Lawrence for "not making a difference" as the Eagles accumulated a whopping 276 rushing yards at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field. Earlier this summer, one unnamed NFL personnel director said that Lawrence should have won Defensive Player of the Year Award honors for the 2024 campaign even though the 27-year-old only played in 12 games before he went down with a season-ending elbow injury. Lawrence currently isn't even the best defensive player on the Giants, as pass-rusher Brian Burns is tied for the NFL lead with 10 sacks. According to Jordan Raanan of ESPN, Lawrence has tallied 20 total tackles, one tackle for a loss, 0.5 sacks, one interception, 10 initial pressures and four quarterback hits this season. "I think I’m doing what I can when I get the opportunities," Lawrence explained. "Numbers are not everything. I’ve been an advocate of that last year and the year before that and the year before that. I don’t think numbers indicate anything — for real. They’re just something that’s on your stat sheet. I think the way I play is disruptive. You ask people I play against, and they’ll tell you the same thing. Not people who are talking." Dexter Lawrence shares wish after Carl Banks comments Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke suggested that Banks was possibly "trying to light a fire under" Lawrence with comments that generated discussions on New York sports talk radio programs. If that truly was Banks' goal, his plan seems to have produced the desired result. "Let’s say this: I hope people start trying to disrespect me," Lawrence added. "I hope they start not respecting me, because that’s not what’s showing on the field. They’re showing a lot of respect on the field." Lawrence will next have an opportunity to offer an on-the-field response to Banks when the Giants host a 5-3 San Francisco 49ers side that features dynamic running back Christian McCaffrey. As of Thursday morning, ESPN BET had New York as a 2.5-point underdog for this coming Sunday's matchup.
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