In Podz they trust.<\/p>\n
Otherwise, they wouldn\u2019t have given him an $8.85 million ($2.95 million over three years) contract extension.<\/p>\n
His numbers aren\u2019t great (eight goals and 16 assists last season), he isn\u2019t flashy in any way shape or form and if you aren\u2019t paying close attention you\u2019re really aren\u2019t going to notice Vasily Podkolzin out there.<\/p>\n
All of which suggests that $2.95 million is something of an over pay, especially by an organization that didn\u2019t think Dylan Holloway (63 points last season) was worth $2.29 million.<\/p>\n
But there is a reason Leon Draisaitl raved all season about having him as a linemate. There\u2019s a reason his head coach feels comfortable throwing him out there in almost any situation.<\/p>\n
And those are the reasons he\u2019s going to triple his salary.<\/p>\n
Podkolzin is a hockey player\u2019s hockey player. A strong, smart, reliable, hard-working. selfless linemate who makes those around him better.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not just Leon, there are numerous guys in the lineup who like playing with him because of the type of player he is,\u201d said head coach Kris Knoblauch. \u201cHe drives a lot of the play, he spends a lot of time in the offensive zone. For me, I like the versatility of him. I can move him up and down the lineup.\u201d<\/p>\n
There are bottom six forwards who can\u2019t keep up in the top six and there are top six forwards who aren\u2019t big enough or complete enough to make a difference in the bottom six.<\/p>\n
Podkolzin is a unicorn in that respect. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder can be plugged in anywhere in the lineup and he looks right at home.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou always want players who make other players better and Podz has those attributes,\u201d said Knoblauch. \u201cHe\u2019s pretty good defensively, he\u2019s hard on the forecheck, he makes it uncomfortable for the other team because he\u2019s a strong guy and he\u2019s not afraid to finish his checks.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not very often you get something for nothing in this world, but in giving up a fourth-round pick to get Podkolzin, the Oilers fleeced Vancouver on this deal. They landed a winger that the best players in the world love having as a linemate, a guy who lead the team in hits (211) and, now that he\u2019s found a home and earned the confidence of his coaches and teammates, has an opportunity to realize the potential that made him a 10th overall draft pick in 2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were very fortunate to get Podz the way we did,\u201d said Knoblauch. \u201cHe\u2019s been a huge asset for us. He\u2019s a hard worker who complements any player he\u2019s playing with, whether it\u2019s a skilled player or he\u2019s on a simple, forechecking defensive-minded line.\u201d<\/p>\n
The next step in that evolution is to start putting up some better offensive numbers. The importance of helping Draisaitl put up 100-point seasons can\u2019t be overstated, but eight goals isn\u2019t enough. There needs to be more production from a guy getting top six minutes, regardless of the other contributions he\u2019s making.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s a steal right now as he plays out the last year of a $1 million contract, but even when the raise kicks in, $2.95 million for a physical, reliable 30-point player who can slot in anywhere in the lineup won\u2019t be too far of whack when the salary cap starts climbing.<\/p>\n
If he starts scoring, if he becomes a 20-goal, 50-point guy, then that $2.95 million is going to look like a highway robbery.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s young and we feel he\u2019s just going to get better,\u201d said Knoblauch. \u201cThe offensive numbers were pretty pedestrian, weren\u2019t outstanding, but we feel there is more offence in him.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe just doesn\u2019t have a shot-first mentality. He\u2019s reluctant to throw the puck at the net because it\u2019s often a change of possession. We\u2019re encouraging him to shoot the puck a little bit more. And he\u2019ll score because he\u2019s got a really good shot.\u201d<\/p>\n
The trade to Edmonton represented a major shift in Podkolzin\u2019s arc. He was drying up and fading away in Vancouver and now he\u2019s in a pretty sweet spot with a pretty sweet contract, surrounded by players, coaches and fans who believe in him.<\/p>\n
Life is good.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to say things about myself,\u201d he grinned. \u201cI just love hockey, I love the work, I love what I do. When I have opportunities to play with the best players in the world, it\u2019s awesome. I really enjoy trying to be useful for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
But he promises to shoot more.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I still have lots of potential, especially offence,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is the perfect time to show it and be more useful offensively. Just shoot it more. If you have 200 shots on the season and you score on 10 per cent of them, that\u2019s 20 goals. But I want a balance \u2014 I want to be good offensively but not lose what I had last season.\u201d<\/p>\n
E-mail:\u00a0rtychkowski@postmedia.com<\/a><\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don\u2019t miss the news you need to know \u2014 add EdmontonJournal.com<\/a> and EdmontonSun.com<\/a> to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters<\/a>.
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