Underrated Oilers forward quietly on pace for career season

In fact, his skillset is why Vancouver drafted him 10th overall in 2019. He was projected as a top-6 winger with lots of speed and strength, with a physical edge to his game.

Though he wouldn't score tons of points, in his rookie season he did record a respectable 14G and 28 points over 79 games.

Then he was traded to Edmonton last summer for a 4th-round pick and arrived with a reasonable cap hit of $1M, on a contract that expires at the end of the current season.

In is first year with the Oilers, Vasily scored 8G and 24 points, and showed plenty of promise. Enough so, in fact, that Edmonton extended the big Russian to an additional 3-years at an AAV of $2.95M.

In his first three months last year, he already led the team i goal share (9-6), expected goals-for percentage, 56.87, and high-danger chances-for percentage, 58.33, showing the team what he was capable of.

This season, he's playing at a career-best pace, having scored 4G and 10 points, which over 82 games projects to 13G and 32 points.

Yet, Vasily brings more to the table, who at just 24-years old, has plenty of room to develop even more.

Podkolzin rarely takes a bad shift, if ever. He finishes all his checks, and battles for space in front of the net. His blue-collar work ethic has been noticeable, a trait Oilers' fans can get behind.

And on an Oilers team that has lacked physicality this season, Podkolzin's presence on the ice is refreshing, leading the charge in hits and net-front scrums.