As a player, Vasily Podkolzin wears his heart on his sleeve, but his heart was ripped apart a month ago when his father Alexander suddenly died in Moscow, just hours after his oldest son had signed a three-year $8.85 million contract.
So when Podkolzin lifted that clever backhand over Sam Montembault’s glove for his first goal of the season with 69 seconds left Thursday he thought first of his late dad, who had travelled from Russia to witness the entire Stanley Cup Final in June, then his adopted family — his Edmonton Oiler teammates.
“Right now, just playing with good memory of him,” said Podkolzin, a wonderful kid liked by one and all, one of the first guys on the ice for practice, staying out late to work on stuff, the ultimate rink rat.
“I want to make him proud every day. He always wanted me to win a Cup. Unfortunately, he will not see it but he’ll see it another way, on the other side.”
On Sept. 24, he became a rich man, then a very sad one. In the morning of an exhibition game against Seattle Kraken, he led the stretch after practice, cheered on by his teammates after news was out of his new deal. He played the game, and afterwards found out his dad, an entrepreneur, had died.
Suddenly, he was a kid a very long way from his family, climbing on a plane for quiet flight home to his family, his world turned upside down.
“Yesterday was maybe the best day of his life, signing that contract. Then today, what happened, unexpectedly. We feel terribly for his family,” said Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch last month, digesting the news of Podkolzin’s dad dying.
Vasily Podkolzin #92 of the Edmonton Oilers celebrates a goal against the Montreal Canadiens during the third period at Rogers Place on October 23, 2025 in Edmonton, Canada.
When Podkolzin talked to the assembled media in the dressing room after his under-the-crossbar bar shot beat Montembault for the 6-5 victory over Montreal, the first thing he did was talk of his heartache. He talked of the people who had rallied around him.
“This has been a tough month for me, honestly. It’s pretty sad, a huge loss for me and my family,” said the 24-year-old winger after his late goal saved the Oilers and earlier setting up David Tomasek for his first NHL score, skating over to embrace the 29-year-old Czech rookie.
“Thank you to all you guys, all the support on social media. Thank you to the Oilers for letting me be with my family through this tough time. I was in touch with the guys (teammates) every day. They really care about me,” said Podkolzin.
Again, he is a salt of the earth part of the Oilers player family.
“There’s no guy who deserves it more than him. He’s the ultimate pro. He’d do anything for this group,” said Leon Draisaitl last month of his game-in, game-out linemate last season, as his teammates celebrated Podkolzin’s new three-year contract.
And, with the game in the balance Thursday, Draisaitl, Podkolzin and Matt Savoie were out in the last two minutes of the tie game.
“For me, it was nice to score. I’m sure he (his dad) would be proud.”
Podkolzin has four points in eight games. Scoring is not his thing, digging pucks out for others is. He had the last goal of the Oilers season last June in Florida in Game 6, in the final blowout. A good one on Sergei Bobrovsky, but there was no celebration, at all. Maybe his high-water mark will be 20 in a season, some year, but he certainly looked like a scorer with his turnaround backhand winner against the Habs, after a nice relay from Darnell Nurse, who had a roller-coaster night with some giveaways but two fine assists, setting up Andrew Mangiapane for a sitter, too.
When a media guy asked Podkolzin if he’d been working on that move, he laughed.
Silky mitts are not part of his work attire.
“I’ve never practised getting a pass from the blueline and backhanding it in. I’m not (Evgeni) Malkin or a guy like him,” he said, assessing his skill-set.
“What do you mean, you’re not like Malkin?” another media guy prodded.
“I saw how he scored against the Oilers 10 years ago on a spinarama backhand. I’m not like that. But, this was a nice goal,” said Podkolzin, who fought off Mike Matheson and whipped it past Montembeault.
Podkolzin has been all over the map with linemates this season. He started the Habs’ game with Noah Philp in the middle and Trent Frederic, but also had an earlier audition with not just Draisaitl but McDavid as tag-team linemates.
Then, late in the second period against the Habs, coach Kris Knoblauch threw things in the blender, and put Podkolzin back with 29 and added Savoie on RW. Savoie was very strong keeping the puck going in their last shift and they’ll be together to start the game in Seattle Saturday night.
When asked if he was happy with the line he was on after the Habs’ game, Podkolzin wasn’t sure where to go with the question.
“What line?” he said.
Let’s start with the rookie Philp and Frederic. It looked good on paper but it didn’t work against the Habs. Frederic is the one struggling. He hasn’t made an impact in the first eight games, apart for his breakaway goal against the Rangers. He has to be more assertive, bang more bodies.
“We are three big guys and we want to be annoying to play against. But we have to play with the puck a bit more, more offensively,” said Podkolzin.
Knoblauch isn’t sure where he wants Podkolzin, just that he’s a trustworthy, hard-to-play against player.
“Pods has been moving around quite a bit and a lot of that is the amount of respect I have for him,” said Knoblauch. “A lot of times I move him to jump-start one or two guys on another line. He works and works to get pucks back. If we want him in another role, where he’s forechecking, he’ll provide that.”
He clearly trusted Podkolzin, the rookie Savoie and Draisaitl as a trio in the dying seconds Thursday.
“A long time ago we thought that might be a line and hopefully we can build something there,” said Knoblauch, who will be going back to the 1 and 1a McDavid and Draisaitl centre rotation for the Kraken, rather than 29 and 97 together.
This ‘n that: McDavid’s three-point game against the Habs, all assists, gave him 137 three-pointers in his career, tying him with Jari Kurri for second spot on the all-time Oilers list … McDavid’s new linemates are Mangiapane and Ike Howard, a big step up for Howard, who was praised by Knoblauch after the Habs’ game. “He’s picking the game up well,” he said. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will centre a third line with Jack Roslovic and Adam Henrique now. The fourth line will be Philp between Frederic and Tomasek … Knoblauch says Mattias Janmark (lower body), who was hurt in camp, will be out another week or two. If it’s a fortnight, that’s another seven games for Janmark … Defenceman Alec Regula, rocked by an Evander Kane hit two weeks ago, could be cleared to play on the weekend, in Seattle Saturday or Vancouver Sunday.