When Leon Draisaitl goes to bat for you, as a fellow teammate, you’ve possible acquired it made. Such is likely to be the case for Vasily Podkolzin, who in a brief run with the Edmonton Oilers has earned the belief of his coach, and extra importantly the respect of his linemate.
Draisaitl was raving about Podkolzin not too long ago. After Podkolzin scored his first aim of the season, Draisaitl emphasised that followers and the media utterly underrate the Oilers’ beginner’s sport. Saying he beloved enjoying with him and is worked up about his first aim presumably opening up the floodgates for him.
He labeled Podkolzin a super assist participant, which can undoubtedly carry quite a lot of clout with group administration.
“Should you’re not placing them in or capitalizing in your appears then analytics are not any good. Hopefully this opens the floodgates somewhat bit extra persistently for us.”
Leon Draisaitl on the #Oilers having sturdy underlying numbers this season.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/HEQ35ubSy9
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 24, 2024
“He’s a extremely, actually good hockey participant. He’s actually underrated. He does quite a lot of issues that go unnoticed, that lots of people that don’t perceive hockey, they don’t choose up on it He’s actually sensible and he passes the puck rather well. He makes the proper performs nearly each single time.”
Draisaitl praised him as very enjoyable to play with, a praise he as soon as gave Kailer Yamamoto. That reward undoubtedly influenced Yamamoto’s contract extension earlier than his eventual commerce and fade from the NHL.
Ought to the Oilers Be Listening to Draisaitl’s Evaluation?
Draisaitl doesn’t signal gamers to contracts. That’s the job of GM Stan Bowman. However, with Podkolzin being a pending UFA on the finish of subsequent season, you possibly can guess, that so long as Podkolzin doesn’t all of the sudden cease attempting, he’ll be getting one other supply on July 1.
The truth that Draisaitl was so complimentary and cited a number of examples of the sorts of issues Podkolzin does is one thing the Oilers ought to be being attentive to.
Podkolzin has yet one more season after this for $1 million; an excellent deal for a participant who has proven he can grasp with the likes of Draisaitl on the Oilers’ second line. And, because the NHL wage cap jumps, Bowman is likely to be sensible to take Draisaitl’s phrase. Locking the 23-year-old right into a team-friendly deal can be a sensible funding and make one in all his stars glad.
Subsequent: Blues’ GM Makes Candid Confession in Justifying Montgomery Rent
