Completed Trade with the Edmonton Oilers Has Canucks Forward Realizing Vancouver Was Not the Right Fit
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After being drafted 10th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, No one would have thought he would be traded this early in his career, but it seems it has been the right choice for both the Canucks and Vasily Podkolzin.
Being a top-10 pick in the NHL, it is expected that your career will take off and pan out, but that was not the case right away for Podkolzin.
Over three seasons with the Canucks, the start to the career was anything but smooth sailing as he struggled to solidify himself as an everyday NHLer and could seemed to never get the confidence of the coaches on his side.
Now, Just 3 years into his pro career, he may not be the offensive powerhouse that he was originally scouted to be, but instead finds himself playing physical, many times on the first line with the likes of Leon Draisaitl.
Vasili Podkolzin Opens up about being traded by the Vancouver Canucks
No one would have thought when he was traded to the Oilers he would be having the kind of impact he is accomplishing.
For a team that likes to shake up its forward lines, Podkolzin has been a constant, rarely moving off Draisaitl's line. It's the type of trust that he could not get on the West Coast. - Preston Hodgkinson
The 23-year-old Russian forward commented on what it was like to be traded this early in his career, and what it has done to spark his game to get to the next level.
«Sometimes you just need a fresh start,» Podkolzin told Daily Hive after Tuesday's pre-game skate in Edmonton. «When I got traded to Edmonton, just hanging out with the guys for the first few days and I started understanding I am on the right team and I am in the right spot.»
It also helps that he is playing with a top-10 player in the NHL every single night, but t he is not get carried our look out of place when skating along side the German superstar.
It's a good question, ask Leo probably,» Podkolzin laughed. «It's a great opportunity for me and of course, he turned my career [around] in a good way.
«It's a privilege to play with players with that and I don't know how we're still playing together, to be honest It's good, you learn something every day.»
«It's a privilege to play with players with that and I don't know how we're still playing together, to be honest It's good, you learn something every day.»
At the end of the day, Podkolzin is right, a lot of young players just need a new opportunity, in a new city and under new coaches to actually find their game.
Previously on CanucksDaily
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 23 | 273 ANSWERS Completed Trade with the Edmonton Oilers Has Canucks Forward Realizing Vancouver Was Not the Right Fit Do you think the Vancouver Canucks should have traded Nils Hoglander instead of Vasili Podkolzin | ||
| Yes | 134 | 49.1 % |
| No | 139 | 50.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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