Edmonton Oilers determined to secure young forward's future with the team
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Young forward Vasily Podkolzin is entering the final year of his contract with the Oilers, and the team is preparing to sign him to an extension before the start of training camp.
Podkolzin was traded to Edmonton from Vancouver in August of 2024 for a 4th round pick. His current 2-year deal with a $1M cap hit expires July1st, 2026.
Reports indicate Oilers could sign Podkolzin Podkolzin before end of summer
According to a Bob Stauffer report, Edmonton could extend Vasily's contract as early as the end of this month. Of course, the value of the extension will depend on its term.
Evolving Hockey projects the 24 year-old forward's next deal would be for 2-years, at a $1.93M cap hit, almost double his previous cap hit, though the raise would be money well spent by the Oilers.
Yet, Evolving Hockey also reports that the Oilers may consider a 5-year contract, with a projected cap hit of $3.25M, though the chances of that scenario is less likely; Vasily would need to establish himself with the team first before they'd commit to 5-years.
The 10th overall pick of 2019 played most of last season alongside Leon Draisaitl in the top-4, where he helped stop opposing teams' offense and their high-danger chances. According to Hockey Viz Vasily was 3% above league average on offense, and 8% above as a defensive-forward.
Podkolzin is a complete 2-way player that plays a 200-foot game, a valuable asset on a team with huge offensive abilities; Vasily won't need to worry too much about offense, and can focus on shutting down opposing teams' scorers.
During the 2024-25 regular season, Vasily scored 8G and 16A in 82 games played, and 3G and 7A in 22 playoff games. His depth scoring is definite bonus for a strong defensive-forward who projects to get better.
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