Edmonton Oilers have locked up one of their pending 2026 UFA’s.
Vasily Podkolzin has agreed to a three-year contract extension.
The deal is reportedly carrying an AAV of $2.95m. The nuts and bolts of the deal include a $1M signing bonus each year.
Podkolzin had arbitration rights going into this season. A quick glance around the league informs us that $3m for a player like Podkolzin in the thirty-point range would be the going rate. So, not a discount but not an overpay, either. And give that Stan Bowman only paid a fourth round pick to acquire him, that leans the deal easily toward the value side. In the meantime, for the upcoming season, Podkolzin remains on what one would have to consider a serious bargain contract of $1m. And the new extension in essence buys a UFA year, which is a win for the club. In addition, PuckPedia reports that the deal includes a ten-team no trade list in Year Three.
Podkolzin was 8-16-24 in 82 GP after being acquired from the Vancouver Canucks in the last off-season.
He added 3-7-10 on twenty-two post-season games. And as our Cult of Hockey friend Ira Cooper has pointed out, Podkolzin played more time without Leon than with and was 8-3 goals in the playoffs away from Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. Note-able, for those who attribute Podkolzin’s success to his more-famous linemates.
In his NHL career, Podkolzin is 26-33-59 in 219 GP with 91 PIM.
A former #10 overall pick in 2019, the winger had fallen out of favor in Vancouver after the goals dried up in 2023-24. But in Edmonton Podkolzin found new life, often alongside Leon Draisaitl on the Oilers second line as a very effective forechecker. He also added PK duty, which he looks to reprise this season. Finally, he led the club in hits with 211.
As the organization worked to get younger after having the oldest roster in the NHL for much of last season, this bit of business ticks that box. Podkolzin just turned twenty-four this past June.
Also popular with his teammates, when Coach Kris Knoblauch announced the deal at practice this morning, it was met with a loud round of cheers.
This article is not AI generated.
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