On Sunday afternoon, the Vancouver Canucks dropped a bomb out of nowhere. Well, maybe that’s a bit of a stretch, but it was news. The Canucks announced they traded winger Vasily Podkolzin to the Edmonton Oilers for a 2025 fourth-round pick. (which was originally from the Ottawa Senators) It was an eyebrow-raising trade. For starters, it was bizarre to see Podkolzin get traded to a divisional rival and the timing of the trade seemed interesting. This author even predicted that the Russian would probably be traded during the season, not in August. Podkolzin found out he was traded from the Canucks to Edmonton on his way to IKEA. But now the dust on the trade has settled, let’s look back at Podkolzin’s time in Vancouver.
Podkolzin’s Time in Vancouver Begins with Hopes and Concerns
The Canucks held the tenth overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. It was also big for them as the draft was held at Rogers Arena. With Elias Pettersson having a Calder-winning rookie season, Quinn Hughes just making his NHL debut, and the emergence of Thatcher Demko and Brock Boeser looking to take the next step, the Canucks needed another member to add to the core.
There were lots of options for the Canucks to take. Trevor Zegras, Cole Caufield, Peyton Krebs, and Matt Boldy were among the talented crop of prospects available. Unfortunately, Zegras was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks one spot before Vancouver. Moreover, there was a lot of anticipation from Canucks fans when they took the stage. To the surprise of many, they took Podkolzin and Stan Smyl infamously butchered his name.
Podkolzin was one of the most intriguing prospects of the 2019 draft. Many scouts and draft experts had him going as high as third. He was praised for his work ethic, shot, skill, and physicality. However, there were concerns about his production. Podkolzin only managed 13 points in 29 games with the SKA St. Petersburg organization split between the KHL, VHL, and MHL.
But the Canucks saw the potential in him and it was high.
“I think he’s going to be a good complementary player to some of the skilled players we have,” said then-general manager Jim Benning after selecting Podkolzin. “He’s the type of player that takes puck battles personally. He wants to win his puck battles and I think that’s what makes him an effective player.”
From Russia with Grit, Tears, and Determination
Podkolzin spent the next two seasons with SKA as he had a contract to fulfill. Given how strong of a team SKA were, he didn’t get much ice time. Podkolzin put up 16 points in 38 games, again split between the KHL, VHL, and MHL. He even managed to put up three points in four playoff games before the rest of the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The following season, Podkolzin only played one game in the VHL and 35 in the KHL. However, he managed 11 points in 35 games with the big club with limited minutes. In the playoffs, Podkolzin managed a respectable 11 points in 16 games as SKA lost to CSKA Moscow in the Conference Final.
Podkolzin came to Vancouver with promise. He did well at training camp and scored his first goal on October 15 against the Philadelphia Flyers.
But the 2021-22 was a year of turmoil and chaos. The Canucks struggled and after a lot of fan unrest, Benning and head coach Travis Green were fired in early December. Bruce Boudreau was brought in and the Canucks did improve, but it was very little and they fell short of the playoffs.
As for Podkolzin, there were a lot of positive signs. It took time for him to adjust but it was clear things were heading in the right direction. Podkolzin finished 2021-22 with 14 goals and 12 assists for 26 points in 79 games. His forechecking, physicality, grit, and tenacity were on full display. Sadly, his rookie season was when Podkolzin’s time in Vancouver peaked.
What Went Wrong
The Canucks were in even more turmoil in 2022-23. They got off to another bad start and it felt like nothing could go right. Boudreau was controversially fired in January and president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford and general manager Patrik Allvin got their man, Rick Tocchet.
Under Boudreau that season, Podkolzin struggled even playing with the likes of J.T. Miller and Conor Garland. In November, he was sent down to the Abbotsford Canucks of the AHL. However, the Canucks called him back up in February. Podkolzin finally scored his first goal of the 2022-23 season and ended the year with four and three assists.
It looked like Tocchet was the right coach for him. A coach who strongly wants a high work rate, intensity, and forechecking. Surely Podkolzin would elevate his game, right? Unfortunately, Podkolzin was cut early in last year’s training camp and spent most of the year in the AHL and only played 19 games with Vancouver. It just wasn’t working with him with the Canucks.
So What Went Wrong?
There are several reasons. Firstly, it was consistency. In some games, Podkolzin would show promise, in others, you would hardly notice him. Even in one game, he would do something great like throw a big hit and then go missing for the rest of the game. Offence was another big thing. Podkolzin struggled to find his foot offensively and couldn’t unlock it. Finally, it all came down to confidence. Many nights, it seemed Podkolzin was lacking it.
It’s tough to see a player drafted that high never live up to his potential, but he’s an Oiler now. Maybe a change of scenery will rejuvenate his game. But for the Canucks, Podkolzin turned out to be a ground out instead of a home run.
