Vasily Podkolzin has always looked the part of an elite prospect. He’s big, powerful, skilled, can score some eye-popping goals, and pursues the puck like it owes him money.
The problem for Podkolzin is that he’s never really produced like an elite prospect. As good as he looked as a prospect in Russian leagues and the World Juniors, the numbers never seemed to follow.
There were always various reasons/excuses for the limited production. At two World Junior tournaments, his linemates seemed incapable of finishing on the chances he created. He kept bouncing around leagues in Russia and never settled into a rhythm. When he finally stuck in the KHL, he received limited ice time from a coach that didn’t seem interested in developing a player who wanted to leave for the NHL.
Podkolzin showed potential in his first season in North America, putting up 14 goals and 26 points in 79 games while frequently riding shotgun with the Canucks’ star centre, Elias Pettersson. The trouble is, he didn’t build on that season. Instead, he found himself sent down to the AHL last year to work on his game.
Heading into training camp this year, Podkolzin was challenged to prove he belonged in the lineup and was given an opportunity to start camp with two top-tier linemates: J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser.
He didn’t meet the challenge.
Podkolzin’s preseason was a disappointment. It wasn’t just the lack of points but the missed assignments all over the ice. When he was cut from Vancouver's roster and sent to the Abbotsford Canucks in the AHL, it wasn’t the least bit surprising.
This is a crucial season for Podkolzin. Now 22 years old, the winger needs to prove himself again as a prospect. There are no more excuses for a lack of production — he need to put up points in the AHL and be a dominant power forward at that level to prove he can still be an impact player in the NHL.
Fortunately, Podkolzin is meeting that particular challenge head-on.
Podkolzin has come flying out of the gate in the Abbotsford Canucks’ first five games, scoring at a goal-per-game pace. His 5 goals and 1 assist have him tied for the league lead in goals this season.
What’s most encouraging about Podkolzin’s scoring flurry is that it’s not just luck or happenstance — he leads Abbotsford with 21 shots on goal, averaging just over four shots per game. That gives him a shooting percentage of 23.8%, which is very high, yes, but not so high that Podkolzin isn’t likely to keep scoring.
Podkolzin kicked things off with two goals in his first game, including the first goal of the Abbotsford Canucks’ season, as he quickly turned on an Arshdeep Bains pass from the bumper on the power play.
He followed that up with an even-strength goal, finishing off a pass from Tristen Nielsen.
None of Podkolzin’s five shots on goal found the back of the net in Abbotsford’s second game, but he got back on the scoresheet against the Calgary Wranglers with an unexpected one-timer blast from the top of the right faceoff circle on the power play, looking like a young Elias Pettersson.
His next goal was very similar — again against the Wranglers and again a one-timer from the top of the right faceoff circle — but this time it was at even strength.
Podkolzin capped off his first five games of the season with a fantastic individual effort for the overtime game-winning goal against the Colorado Eagles, suddenly accelerating past the defence and driving to the net for the backhand finish.
This is exactly the type of response the Canucks were hoping for from Podkolzin when they sent him down to Abbotsford to start the season. They need him to prove that he’s too good for the AHL, while also building the confidence to be more than just a run-of-the-mill bottom-six winger in the NHL.
If this is a sign that Podkolzin has turned a corner in his development, it’s very good news for the Canucks.
