Oilers 2025-26 Report Cards: Vasily Podkolzin

As the offseason rolls on, so do the Edmonton Oilers’ player grades. The last report card graded Josh Samanski, and now we turn our attention to Vasily Podkolzin.

One of Stan Bowman’s best moves as Oilers’ general manager was acquiring Podkolzin from the Vancouver Canucks for a fourth-round pick in Aug. 2024. The Russian winger just completed a two-year contract with a $1 million cap hit. That was a bargain deal, and Edmonton got incredible value. As a result, Bowman inked him to a three-year contract extension with a $2.95 million cap hit. As the salary cap continues to rise, that new deal should remain a bargain, especially if he continues trending upwards.

He has turned into a productive second-line winger, alongside Leon Draisaitl, and his teammate has stated in the past that he loves playing with him.

“Podzy does a lot of things that a lot of people who don’t really understand hockey don’t see. He does a lot of work for me, and it lets me have a lot of time with the puck and sets me up with great situations where I lack that in my game,” Draisaitl stated before training camp began. They have developed chemistry, and Podkolzin spent most of the season playing with the German superstar. He has finally been rewarded on the scoresheet. Let’s take a look at his 2025-26 season.

2025-26 Performance

For the second straight season, Podkolzin played all 82 games. He had a breakout season, recording 19 goals and 37 points, with a plus-1 rating, averaging 15:23 per game. He had just eight goals and 24 points with a plus-1 rating last season. He smashed his career high in goals, shots, and ice time, averaging over two minutes more per game than in 2024-25. He seldom gets power-play time, so 17 of his goals were scored at 5-on-5.

The 24-year-old was one of the Oilers’ best players during their short playoff run, recording three goals and six points in six games, with a plus-5 rating, averaging 16:17 per game. Only Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard had more playoff points than him, and he was tied with Kasperi Kapanen and Connor McDavid.

Podkolzin’s work ethic is unmatched. He brings his best effort every game, and he rarely has an off night. He’s an exceptional forechecker because he uses his speed and physicality to win battles and retrieve loose pucks. He’s surprisingly quick, maxing out at 23.11 miles per hour, which is in the 88th percentile, according to NHL Edge. The left-shot winger has surprised some defenders with his quick speed bursts, beating them to open space.

The 2019 first-round pick led the Oilers in hits in both the regular season and the playoffs. He had 242 regular-season hits, averaging 11.51 hits per 60 minutes. That was 49 more hits than the second on the team. He added another 32 playoff hits, averaging 19.65 hits per 60 minutes. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder was 12th in the NHL in regular-season hits.

If there’s a weakness in his game, it’s on the penalty kill. In 51:22 of shorthanded ice time, Podkolzin was on the ice for nine goals against. That’s roughly one goal every two and a half power plays. He didn’t kill a single second during the playoffs. The Oilers’ penalty kill was in the bottom half of the league, so that entire area needs improvement. That’s the most important thing he should work on this offseason. If he can improve his penalty killing, he will be even more valuable.

Overall Grade

The biggest critique of Podkolzin last season was his lack of offence. Despite that, he still got a B grade due to his consistency and work ethic. Now, he has found that offensive game, and he’s becoming a complete player. He has been a mainstay in the top six, and he clearly worked on his shot in the offseason, because it has drastically improved.

With his newfound offensive instincts and the same tenacity, physicality, and work ethic we are accustomed to seeing, he deserves an A for his fantastic season. Podkolzin was a rare bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season. The soon-to-be 25-year-old continues to impress. He has become a fan favourite, but let’s see if he can build off this breakout campaign.

So, do you agree with his grade? Keep following The Hockey Writers as we continue the Oilers’ player report cards throughout the offseason.

Advanced stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick