Vasily Podkolzin Is Exactly What The Oilers Needed

Sometimes all you need is a second chance.

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For Vasily Podkolzin, that second chance came in the form of a trade from the Vancouver Canucks to the Edmonton Oilers on August 18th. At the time, it looked like a bit of a panic move by the Oilers as they wrestled with the offer sheets signed by Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg.

"Vasily Podkolzin? That Russian Canucks prospect from a few years ago? Did he even play last year?" That was the general tenor of discussions around Oil Country when the trade broke.

But hey, we've all seen former top prospects flame out with the team that drafted them only to break out in a new situation. We're still only a few years removed from watching Valeri Nichushkin -- another Russian power forward drafted 10th overall -- go from frustrating depth piece in Dallas to one of the most important players on a Stanley Cup champion in Colorado. It was at least worth a shot to see if Podkolzin could do the same.

Back in the pre-season, I allowed myself to get a little excited about Podkolzin. The player I saw at training camp was a hard-nosed, physical bottom-six grinder who did all the little things right. He looked like a nice little addition to the team's forward depth. How does he look after one month of regular season play?

Here's a list of the top five Oilers by expected goals share (per MoneyPuck):

1. Connor McDavid (62.8%)

2. Leon Draisaitl (62.8%)

3. Zach Hyman (61.1%)

4. Vasily Podkolzin (61%)

5. Evan Bouchard (60.3%)

That's a list of the Oilers' four best players, plus Vasily Podkolzin. Pretty good company for a 23-year-old reclamation project.

What's even better is he's not just crushing easy minutes in a depth role. Podkolzin has played most of his minutes on a line with Leon Draisaitl and Viktor Arvidsson -- first on the second line and now on the top line with Connor McDavid injured.

He's not just a passenger, either: he's an absolute demon on the forecheck, forcing turnovers and keeping possessions going with smart, quick, connecting plays.

His contributions haven't quite shown up on the scoresheet yet, with no goals and three assists through 13 games. But the points will come for Podkolzin. For one, he's not going to keep shooting literally 0 percent. He like so many Oilers, has been the victim of bad luck. MoneyPuck credits him with 1.8 individual expected goals, and his xG% (61%) almost doubles his actual G% (33%), which is just not sustainable.

He's also started to show more confidence, especially since he's stuck on the Draisaitl line. He's already starting to be less passive and take more shots, and it's clear that he possesses good offensive IQ and a nose for the net. He was visibly frustrated after missing a wide-open net by mere inches on Monday night against New Jersey.

Podkolzin will likely never become a true point producer, and that's fine. If he can settle in around 50 points and keep up his current play driving numbers, he'll be a hugely important piece in the Oilers' top six. Every team can use a player with his skillset: a fast, aggressive forechecker who wins puck battles and extends possessions to give the big guns a chance to score, and can chip in a goal or two around the net.

He also sometimes does things like this:

Moreover, Podkolzin is a new kind of player for these Oilers: a savvy, under-the-radar acquisition that breaks out in Edmonton. The best teams are the best because they find these kinds of players: Nichushkin in Colorado, Zach Hyman and Michael Bunting in Toronto, Carter Verhaeghe in Florida, the original Vegas Golden Misfits.

The Oilers, despite their recent success, don't really have that. They have to go out and sign Hyman in free agency, or take advantage of players willing to take discounts like Evander Kane and Jeff Skinner. That's great, but championships are won on the margins. With Vasily Podkolzin in tow, the Oilers are ready to win on those margins.

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