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Oilers Trade Canucks for Former First-Round Pick

The Edmonton Oilers have acquired forward Vasily Podkolzin from the Vancouver Canucks.

Nick Horwat

Apr 2, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vancouver Canucks right wing Vasily Podkolzin (92) warms up before a game against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 2, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vancouver Canucks right wing Vasily Podkolzin (92) warms up before a game against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
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Despite having decisions to make on a pair of their restricted free agents who were tendered offer sheets, the Edmonton Oilers are making trades. The Oilers acquired 23-year-old forward Vasily Podkolzin from the Vancouver Canucks.

In exchange for Podkolzin, the Oilers sent the Canucks a 2025 fourth-round draft pick that they had acquired from the Ottawa Senators.

Podkolzin joins the Oilers with 137 career NHL games under his belt. In that time over the span of three seasons, he has scored 18 goals and 17 assists for 35 total points. A majority of those numbers came during his rookie campaign in 2021-22 when he played 79 games and scored 26 points (14G-12A).

Most of Podkolzin’s 2023-24 season was spent with the Canucks American Hockey League affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. He played 44 games and scored 28 points (15G-13A).

The Canucks selected Podkolzin 10th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft. Before making the jump to North America, he spent a few seasons in his native Russia playing in the KHL.

Podkolzin likely won’t start the season in the Oilers’ NHL roster but could slide in as a replacement on the forward corps. He also joins the Oilers’ organization with two years remaining on his contract which earns him $1 million annually.

He may no longer be a top prospect, but if he can grow in a new system, Podkolzin still has a chance to be a regular NHLer.

The Oilers also still need to make a decision regarding prospects Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg. The St. Louis Blues sent offer sheets to both players, opening a seven-day window for the Oilers to either match the offers or lose them to the Blues.

The Oilers would likely need to make money-saving moves to create salary cap space to match the offer sheets, and adding Podkolzin doesn’t exactly save them any money.

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Nick Horwat

NICK HORWAT

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