On June 21, 2019, the Vancouver Canucks used their 10th overall pick to select Vasily Podkolzin of SKA St. Petersburg. Six years after his draft year, the Russian forward has finally found his footing on a Stanley Cup-contending team — but not the team he was drafted by. How did the former top-10 draft pick end up competing for the Stanley Cup only six years after being drafted?
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The pick was considered risky to begin with. Podkolzin still had two years left on his contract with SKA, meaning the earliest he could join the Canucks would have been the 2021–22 season. Moreover, Vancouver was in the market for defencemen that could help bolster the blueline alongside the newly-debuted Quinn Hughes. Defensive prospects like Cam York (Philadelphia Flyers), Thomas Harley (Dallas Stars), and Ville Heinola (Winnipeg Jets) had yet to be picked at the time. Other impact forwards Matt Boldy (Minnesota Wild), Cole Caufield (Montréal Canadiens), and Connor McMichael (Washington Capitals) were also drafted in later rounds. Still, Vancouver set their sights on picking players with an engine — something that has helped Podkolzin thrive during his 2025 Stanley Cup run.
“When we’re taking 17, 18-year-old players, that motor is going to lead to more development. They’re guys that we think are coachable, that are determined to get there, that are going to buy in,” Canucks scouting director at the time, Judd Brackett, told The Province back in 2019.
Podkolzin went back to SKA for the 2019–20 season though, like most, the season was thrown for a loop by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the KHL deciding to move forward with their 2020–21 season, many teams were impacted by COVID-19, including Podkolzin’s team. Partway through, he represented Team Russia at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship in what was his third time participating in the tournament. Previously, he’d played for Russia in 2019 and 2020. In his third and final year, he was named captain of the team, and put together a two-goal, two-assist performance in Russia’s seven tournament games played.
After finishing up his contract with SKA, capping it off with a playoff performance of six goals and five assists in 16 games played, Podkolzin signed his entry-level contract with the Canucks on May 30 of 2021. That fall, he started his first season with Vancouver, scoring 14 goals and 12 assists as a rookie who went through an early coaching change after the firing of Travis Green and his staff in December. While he only had five goals and two assists in his first two months under Green, with 52 games under new head coach Bruce Boudreau, Podkolzin had nine goals and 10 assists.
The Podkolzin and Vancouver saga started to shift after this season. While his point production in 2021–22 wasn’t ideal, fans still had hopes for the forward due to his drive and his work ethic. Even so, while he appeared to be trying his best and putting effort in, the results weren’t appearing on the scoresheet. Podkolzin spent the 2022–23 season with both Vancouver (39 games) and the Abbotsford Canucks (28 games). The season after saw Podkolzin’s AHL time increase, as he played in 44 of Abbotsford’s games and only 19 of Vancouver’s. During both stints with Vancouver, he was unable to produce more than four goals and five assists combined.
These two disappointing seasons ultimately resulted in the Canucks moving on from Podkolzin. In August of 2024, Vancouver traded Podkolzin to the Edmonton Oilers for a 2025 fourth-round pick. This deal came only a few months after the Canucks inked him to a two-year, $1M AAV extension.
The 2024–25 season presented itself as a bounce-back opportunity for Podkolzin, who played solidly in a middle to bottom-six role at various times throughout the year. He skated in all 82 of the Oilers’ games, putting up eight goals and a career-high of 16 assists. His time on ice throughout the season also rose, as he averaged 13:13 minutes played per game.
While Podkolzin wasn’t expected to be a top-line player for the Oilers, he has shared the ice with star forward Leon Draisaitl at various points during Edmonton’s 2025 Stanley Cup Playoff run. He has also been able to contribute to their depth scoring, having put up four points in Edmonton’s six games against the L.A. Kings. Vancouver fans may be hesitant to admit it, but Podkolzin looks like he has turned another leaf as a member of the Oilers.
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