2 hours Ago
EDMONTON — The look skyward and the sigh of relief on his face said it all. After Edmonton Oilers winger Vasily Podkolzin took a pass from linemate Leon Draisaitl and blasted a shot past goaltender Jonathan Quick at 17:34 of the first period, he couldn’t help but react the way he did. Podkolzin’s first goal as an Oiler — the opening marker in a decisive 6-2 win over the New York Rangers on Saturday — was a long time coming.
A long time. Advertisement “Finally,” he said. “It takes much longer than I thought it would, but sometimes God gives you a little bit of challenges in life for being a better hockey player or a better person.
” Podkolzin hadn’t scored an NHL goal since March 23, 2023 — a span of 42 games. This was a big one for him and his teammates on the ice — and even on the bench. “It was electric,” said defenceman Darnell Nurse , who also had a goal in his return after missing three games with a head injury.
“Everyone sees the work that Vasy puts in. “He’s always working to better his game, and he’s been all over the (ice) sheet for a good while here now. To see him get rewarded for all the work that he’s put in, it was fun to watch.
” PUCK GOES IN!!️ #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/kWS6dZIuR9 — Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 24, 2024 Saturday was Podkolzin’s 22nd game in blue and orange since he was acquired in an August trade as a lower-cost replacement for Dylan Holloway , who signed an offer sheet with St.
Louis that wasn’t matched. From an offensive standpoint, this was not what he’d hoped for over the season’s first 6 1/2 weeks. Podkolzin was locked into a spot on the fourth line out of training camp.
He’s the youngest forward on the team at 23, plus the top three trios were set thanks to two returning lines and the July 1 signings of Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner , brought in to play with Draisaitl. But his physicality, strong skating, forechecking and puck retrieving — along with Skinner not moving the needle enough — earned Podkolzin a spot on Draisaitl’s wing by the eighth game. “When he was on the ice, he was always a positive influence,” coach Kris Knoblauch said.
“Good players make other players better. That’s what you really want. That’s what he’s been doing.
” Podkolzin has spent most of his time next to Draisaitl ever since. Advertisement “He’s a really, really good hockey player,” Draisaitl said. “He’s really underrated.
He does a lot of things that go unnoticed. A lot of people that don’t understand hockey don’t pick up on it. “He’s really smart and he passes the puck extremely well.
He makes the right play almost every single time. On top of that, he works his (butt) off. He gets in on the forecheck and he’s hard to play against.
When he creates turnovers, he has the puck, and he makes the right play after. “That’s what’s really underrated with him. He’s good on his backhand.
He’s very fun to play with.” It’s hard to top that review from one of the best players of this era. Podkolzin has also been garnering strong evaluations throughout the organization for his play despite the goose egg in the goal category.
Knoblauch said earlier in the week that he felt Podkolzin had improved every line he’s been on. That’s high praise and meaningful to the player, given it’s coming from the guy responsible for doling out ice time. “I feel better,” Podkolzin said.
“I feel good about my game. Well, not good but OK. It’s not perfect.
Of course, it’s bad that I’m not scoring (enough), but I’m sure it’s coming. “I’ve done a lot of work besides (getting) goals. I try to do so many good things, and the offensive stuff will come, too.
” It was clear what Knoblauch thought of Podkolzin when he gave him the plum assignment of being on a line with not only Draisaitl but Connor McDavid on Tuesday in Ottawa. Podkolzin responded with a two-assist outing in a 5-2 win. He tried to be “fast and useful for them.
” He got another chance there against Minnesota on Thursday before McDavid and Draisaitl were split up to begin Saturday’s game. “I just try to enjoy it and try to help them get the puck back — trying to maybe create a little more space for them,” Podkolzin said. “It’s the best two players in the NHL, so you can’t even ask for more.
” Advertisement Podkolzin had five assists in 21 games — all at five-on-five — before the Rangers visited Edmonton. Still, that zero to start his stat line remained. For all the good in Podkolzin’s game, it was hard to shake that.
The Oilers made that summertime trade with the divisional rival Vancouver Canucks to obtain Podkolzin. That they had to relinquish only a fourth-round pick in next year’s draft spoke to how much he’d fallen out of favour there. It was barely five years prior that the Canucks selected Podkolzin 10th in the 2019 draft.
After playing two more seasons in the KHL, Podkolzin joined the Canucks and had a respectable 14 goals and 26 points in 79 games in his rookie 2021-22 campaign. That’s been the high-water mark of his career. Over the last two seasons, Podkolzin has played more games in the minors than he has in the big leagues and scored just four NHL goals — all in 2022-23.
He failed to record a goal in 19 games last season and appeared in just two of Vancouver’s 13 postseason contests, going pointless. “One thing I’ve had to understand over the last three seasons is you have to be strong mentally,” Podkolzin said. “You have to be confident.
You have to try to think positive even if something (bad) happens like my (lack of) goals.” Scoring 14 times in a season is no easy feat. Podkolzin could try to draw confidence from that accomplishment.
But that felt more and more like a distant memory to him by the day. “I just need to keep working,” Podkolzin said. “Patience is a big thing, too.
I have a good team. I have great teammates here.” Podkolzin said the encouragement and acknowledgement of his efforts from his teammates, namely Draisaitl and worker-bee winger Zach Hyman , have helped give him a boost.
So has all the extra time he’s put in before and after practices and morning skates. Advertisement On Thursday, he was working on sharp-angle one-timers — one of Draisaitl’s signature skills — a move he said he’s had success scoring on in the past. “You notice that as a player.
You see it,” Draisaitl said. “He’s just a fantastic teammate. He’s done nothing but impress everyone in the room.
He works extremely hard. He tries to get better.” But Podkolzin desperately wanted something more — and something more current — on his resume.
He wanted to raise his arms to celebrate putting a puck over a goal line and into a net. That finally came on Saturday. The long wait is over.
“I’m very happy for him to get on the board,” Draisaitl said. “He’s had plenty of looks. Hopefully, that opens the floodgates for him a little bit.
” “My perspective is you always want players playing the right way,” Knoblauch said. “If you do that long enough, it’s going to pay off and you’re going to get rewarded.” The reward couldn’t have come at a better time for Podkolzin as his parents were in the arena.
They’ve been visiting for three weeks, but this was their last night in Edmonton before they return home to Russia. Assistant coach and Hockey Hall of Famer Paul Coffey shook Podkolzin’s hand and tapped his stomach in the Oilers dressing room after the game. “First of many,” Coffey told him.
That brought a smile to his face. It sounds like a plan to him. “Finally, I scored,” Podkolzin said.
“And I’ve got to score more.” (Photo: Perry Nelson / Imagn Images).
