Edmonton cannot afford to keep Vasily Podkolzin and the Maple Leafs should be first in line to take him
Photo credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images
The Edmonton Oilers on-ice and salary challenges present the Leafs the opportunity to go after Vasily Podkolzin and he's the perfect addition to their new lineup.
After a disappointing first round exit from the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Edmonton Oilers face an off-season rife with questions and uncertainty about the makeup of the team's future.
Edmonton has 11 pending free agents, along with eight of them being forwards. In their forward group, they have seven locked up beyond this season, with most of the money between Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl for obvious reasons.
An equally significant challenge for Edmonton is that with their extension eligible crop, the Oilers have a clear need to add more impact talent, making it likely for a heavy roster turnaround.
A source told Hockey Patrol in March that Edmonton was the favorite for German free agent winger Veit Oswald, who recently signed a one-year extension with RB Munchen despite NHL interest. This adds a layer of uncertainty for the Oilers forward group.
Veterans such as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman are almost surely staying, as will youngsters Matt Savoie and Isaac Howard, leaving someone like Podkolzin the only movable part Edmonton has on offense.
For Podkolzin, one of the few players with proper term in the Oilers roster, he could be key for Edmonton's depth, he could also be a major trade chip for an improvement.
Edmonton is cap paralyzed after crashing from the playoffs and Podkolzin is exactly the type of contract they need to move
The Edmonton Oilers have a limited lack of options for offensive support behind Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and if they want a major cup run in the next two seasons before McDavid's contract ends, they need to boost themselves up now.
Podkolzin, 24, has proven to be a successful reclamation project for the Oilers, the former 10th overall pick hitting career highs this season with 19 goals, 18 assists, & 37 points with Edmonton this season in 82 games.
In his second season with the Oilers since being dealt from Vancouver as someone who was outside the roster, Podkolzin has been a reliable middle-six winger, but as Edmonton aims to get better, Podkolzin could be key to adding an upgrade.
Edmonton may be reluctant to move Podkolzin, his just under $3M contract starting next season into 2029, but he could prove to be highly coveted this offseason.
Podkolzin is the exact physical skilled forward Matthews and Nylander told management they needed and the Maple Leafs cannot miss this call
The Toronto Maple Leafs would be wise to call on Podkolzin as help for their own need for forward help, even if a deal doesn't get done.
Toronto could put Podkolzin in an even higher role than Edmonton has used him, someone who has the potential for a real breakout in the top-six minutes the Leafs could provide him.
For Edmonton to add some depth, and an opportunity for Toronto to have room for their young forwards, a deal revolving around Podkolzin for a sign-and-trade deal involving Matias Maccelli and Steven Lorentz could make sense for cheap depth the Oilers way.
The 25-year-old Maccelli has 15 goals and 39 points with Toronto, while producing well when put in the top-six, although smaller than Podkolzin. Lorentz adds reliability, and cup experience with Florida, as a cheap fourth line option for the Oilers.
The only drawback for teams is that Podkolzin does make sense for Edmonton to keep as a decently priced middle-six forward, and it would be wise to keep pieces with a potential new look roster, but Podkolzin's price could be quite high for teams who want to bypass the free agent market.
It's possible to see the Leafs add a young forward with scoring upside such as Vasily Podkolzin, and with the Oilers cap uncertainty, he's the exact type of player the next GM coming in should be making right away.
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1 HOUR AGO|53 ANSWERS Edmonton cannot afford to keep Vasily Podkolzin and the Maple Leafs should be first in line to take him What is the response for a deal involving Podkolzin for Maccelli, Lorentz, and a third round pick? | ||