Vasili Podkolzin may have entered the 2019 NHL Entry Draft as the #2 ranked skater by NHL Central Scouting, but due to contractual obligations keeping him in Russia, he slipped to 10th in the draft, much to the delight of Jim Benning and the Vancouver Canucks.
Unfortunately, Podkolzin remains under contract with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL through next season, meaning that he is not eligible to come to North America until the 2021-22 season, at which point, he will be 20 years old.
There are risks involved with drafting a player when your organization does not control that player's development, but Podkolzin possesses all of the skills required to be an effective hockey player at the highest level. In fact, TSN's Craig Button called him "a complete winger with all the qualities that you want in a player".
Despite having a very high potential ceiling, Podkolzin has struggled mightily to find the scoresheet this season, not registering even so much as an assist through 14 games with SKA. However, according to KHL reporter Igor Eronko, the 18-year-old is not completely at fault for the lack of production.
“He's coming to a KHL game and he's sitting, and then when maybe the score is 5-2 or something like that, then only he'll have a chance to get on the ice and show some of his skills,” Eronko said. “That was bad for him, and he didn't like it.”
Podkolzin has averaged below six minutes of ice time per game for SKA, a team that is chock-full of talent, which has relegated the young winger to a diminutive role, limiting his opportunities to really shine. Podkolzin has also been bounced around between all three leagues in Russia (MHL, VHL and KHL).
With his development being compromised, Podkolzin was actually happy to be demoted to the second-tier VHL league (comparable to what the AHL would be to the NHL) in October. It gave him an opportunity to play more meaningful minutes, which, in turn, has allowed him to produce some offense. In 16 games with his VHL squad, the young forward has registered 8 points.
One league source shared his knowledge of how prospects are handled (or rather, mis-handled) in Europe, outlining how difficult it can be for young players to develop throughout many of the European leagues.
“The issues in Russia are no different than other European leagues, especially the Swedish Elite League. Older players play, and it's tough for kids to get ice time. That does make it challenging from a developmental control perspective, but I can't emphasize enough that it's not exclusively a KHL issue. It extends to every league outside of the AHL — NCAA, KHL, SHL, on and on.”
As frustrating as this must all be for Podkolzin and the Vancouver Canucks, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. At the conclusion of the 2020-21 KHL season, Podkolzin will be eligible to come to North America, at which point, the Canucks will be able to evaluate where the Russian is at in his development and then implement a game plan to get him up to speed in Utica, on the smaller ice surface.
But how can we be sure that Podkolzin won't decide to remain in Russia? Well, according to Eronko, Podkolzin was offered a lucrative deal to remain with SKA St. Petersburg for an additional five seasons just 30 minutes before Canucks GM Jim Benning called his name. It did not take the Russian winger much time to mull it over before he rejected the offer and declared his intent to finish out his standard contract and then venture overseas to play in North America.
Now that the draft is out of the way and Podkolzin knows exactly where he is heading, the chances of him having a change-of-heart are slim.
“He doesn't want to sign any extension, he wants to play for the Canucks,” Eronko said. “He's excited to play with Elias Pettersson, but he knows he has to earn it to play with him. He knows a lot about the team.”
The Canucks are already on their way to building a quality team around the likes of Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes. If Podkolzin can develop into the player that scouts were pining over at the 2019 draft, that could really set the Canucks up to become a legit threat out West, if they aren't already there by then.
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