Vasily Podkolzin
Drafted – 2019 10th Overall, Vancouver Canucks
Position – RW
Attributes – L, 6’1, 190 lbs
While a team like the Ducks have a significant amount of depth within their prospect ranks the Canucks are a bit more top heavy when it comes to overall talent. One of these talented players drafted in recent years is 10th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft Vasily Podkolzin.
The Russian born skater is a prototypical power forward that teams convet. Playing along the boards, creating havoc in front of the net, and making opponents pay attention when trekking across open ice. Podkolzin’s authoritative stride pushes through opponents sticks and attempted checks allowing Vasily to transition the puck through all three zones with ease.
Not only is he extremely effective on offense the 18-year-old is also a force on defense. His 6’2 190 lbs frame grants him the ability to take skaters off the puck, win battles along the boards, and in general be an obstacle a shooter and a goalie has to deal with when aiming towards the net. When playing against Junior level competition pairing these factors with his high level skill, Podkolzin can make the game of hockey look easy at times.
However this will likely be put to the test next season considering the kid will be playing in the KHL for the SKA St. Petersburg. Nevertheless, Podkolzin will likely benefit from the consistency of a full regular season, which is something he has lacked in the past year of his hockey development.
It’s likely we will not seeing Podkolzin in the NHL for a while, but Canucks fans should feel confident that the power forwards style of play will transition well into the NHL, especially the Pacific Division.