New Edmonton Oilers Forward On The Verge of Breaking Out

The Oilers acquired Podkolzin this summer for only a fourth round draft pick - a reclamation project after he clearly didn't fit in Vancouver. However, Podkolzin is still only 23 years old, and only five years removed from being the 10th overall draft pick.

Though he hasn't scored a goal yet with the Oilers, Podkolzin is making a positive impact and has been rewarded with consistent opportunity on the second line. Podkolzin is currently leading the Oilers in hits and has had plenty of scoring chances, including last night's game where he lead the team in Scoring Chances For Percentage.

Podkolzin is using his physical talents to create space for Leon Draisaitl and Victor Arvidsson with great results. The second line has been the most consistent and impactful Oilers line all throughout the season so far, with much of that success in thanks to Podkolzin. Kris Knoblauch seems to change the lines almost every game, so to see Podkolzin get this extended chance in the top six is a sign the coach believes in the player too.

All that being said, Vasili Podkolzin still needs to figure out a way to score. A cup contending team simply can't accommodate a player who has no offensive ability in the top six - very much a similar problem the Oilers had with Jesse Puljujarvi. It's a good sign that Podkolzin's getting these scoring chances, but now some of them need to go in the net. He appears primed for a breakout, so we'll see how the chips fall for Podkolzin in the next few weeks.