In Pod they trust: Edmonton Oilers show faith in young Russian weapon

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In Pod they trust.

According to the numbers, Vasily Podkolzin had no business being anywhere near the Edmonton Oilers’ top six. On an offensively challenged team like Edmonton, guys with zero goals and three assists through the first 19 games of the season don’t usually get marquee ice time.

But the popular Russian winger has been a steady presence on Leon Draisaitl’s left side since mid October. And, despite sitting second last in points among Oilers forwards at the time, ahead of only Derek Ryan, he was still the player they tapped on the shoulder to round out a nuclear top line with Draisaitl and Connor McDavid last week in Ottawa.

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It’s a decision that McDavid and Draisaitl endorse fully. While Podkolzin’s offensive stats have been rather bleak, the superstars love what they’re seeing in the eye test.

“He’s a really, really good hockey player,” said Draisaitl, who has 16 goals in 22 games so far. “He’s really underrated and does a lot of things that go unnoticed.

“He’s really smart and he passes the puck extremely well. He makes the right plays almost every single time. On top of that he works his butt off and gets in on the forecheck. He’s a hard guy to play against.”

A welcome sight

Be that as it may, the name of the game in the top six is production and there is only so long a team can keep a player who’s on pace for 12 points on its second line. So it’s a welcome sight for everyone concerned that the 23-year-old is finally getting some offence to fall his way.

He had two assists in the Ottawa game and, at long last, scored his first goal as an Oiler, a bullet to open the scoring in Saturday’s 6-2 rout of the New York Rangers.

“Nice shot,” said head coach Kris Knoblauch. “What was really nice about it is that his parents have been here for about three weeks and this was their last night here. They’re leaving (Sunday), so it’s nice that they got to see that.”

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It’s a feel good story all around. And three points in three games is more like it.

“I’m obviously very happy for him to get on the board, he’s had plenty of looks,” said Draisaitl. “Hopefully this opens the floodgates for him a little bit.”

For Podkolzin, this recent outburst is the culmination of a determined effort to reestablish himself and live up to expectations after the Vancouver Canucks closed the book on him last summer.

“It took much longer than I thought, but sometimes God gives you a little bit of challenges in life,” he said after lifting the weight of the world off his shoulders with that one-timer against the Rangers.

“It’s tough, but sometimes you need these challenges in your life to be a better hockey player. Be patient, keep working, and try to think positive. Have a strong mentality.”

He needed to be strong because it was a fast and steep decline, going from a 10th overall draft pick (2019) who scored 14 goals in his rookie season to somebody who managed just seven points in 39 games as a sophomore and two points in 19 games last year.

‘Fantastic teammate’

But since he came to Edmonton he’s been exactly what the Oilers were hoping he’d be — a guy doing everything he can to turn his game around and become a better player. It’s the kind of stuff that isn’t lost on a team trying to win.

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“You notice as a player, you see it,” said Draisaitl. “He is just a fantastic teammate. He’s done nothing but impress everybody in the room. He works extremely hard and tries to get better.

“Regardless of playing in our top six for a long time now, and playing really good hockey there, he is still out there early (before practice) working on his game. I’m extremely impressed by him.”

Podkolzin and the Oilers are hoping the new start, the support of some influential teammates and a coveted spot in the lineup combine to transform him into a valuable weapon.

And maybe the 21-game scoring drought that ended Saturday, and the three points in three games, is the start of that transformation.

“He’s putting a lot of work in, right from Day 1 when he showed up,” said Knoblauch. “Time before practice, working hard in practice and spending more time after practice. He’s been doing so many things right and obviously we appreciate what he’s been doing.

“We’ve been using him on the penalty kill, we moved him up in the lineup to be playing mostly with Leon, and finally, finally one went in for him.”

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It’s not lost on Podkolzin that this is the kind of opportunity a young player trying to get back on track can only dream of. All he can do to repay them is keep working hard and prove them right.

“Thanks for opportunities,” he said of his second line spot. “It’s great to play with Leo again. He’s been feeding me a lot, the last (few) games. Finally I scored.

“(Draisaitl) tells me, after almost every game, ‘Keep going. Everything is good. Work hard, and this stuff will come.’ And finally, I scored. And I’m going to score more.”

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