The Edmonton Oilers are saving every penny they can for when Connor McDavid comes forward and decides to re-sign. That is if the captain decides to extend his stay in Alberta. In the meantime, a former first-round talent in the NHL has been inked to a new deal.
Selected by the Vancouver Canucks with the 10th overall pick in the 2019 NHL entry Draft, Vasily Podkolzin hasnât managed to surpass his career-best 26-point season during the 2021-22 campaign. After being traded to the Oilers in August 2024, the 24-year-old recorded 24 points in Edmonton, earning himself an extension.
The Oilers have signed Podkolzin to a three-year, $8.85 million extension. The Russianâs new deal will now carry an average annual value (AAV) of $2.95M. With McDavid unsigned, Podkolzin will become the sixth-highest paid forward in Edmonton during the 2026-27 NHL season.
However, the young forward will play the upcoming campaign in the final year of the two-year, $2 million extension he signed with the Canucks. After his strong production alongside McDavid and company, the Oilers rewarded him with a significant pay raise. Podkolzin is set to earn more than double his previous salary.
Vasily Podkolzin #92 of the Edmonton Oilers at Ball Arena on November 30, 2024
New duties
Podkolzinâs production was a pleasant surprise for the Oilers. The former Canucks forward recorded 8 goals and 16 assists across 82 games in his first season in the Gateway to the North. Now, the barâand the expectationsâfor him have only risen.
see also
NHL News: Connor McDavid reportedly set to shock the league with value on Oilers extension
As a result, Kris Knoblauch is handing him bigger responsibilities. According to Daily Faceoff, the Oilers are trying out Podkolzin on the top-six. More specifically, the 24-year-old has joined Leon Draisaitl and Kasperi Kapanen on the second line so far in training camp. However, much can change for Edmonton come the NHL regular season.
What wonât change, however, are the hopes placed on McDavid and the Oilers heading into the upcoming campaign. Fans in Northern Alberta wonât rest until Edmonton hoists its first Stanley Cup since 1990. The wait has been long enoughâbut as long as McDavid is in town to chase the Cup, the payoff would be worth it.
