With a big game vs the Blues, Vasily Podkolzin can prove the Edmonton Oilers were right to let Dylan Holloway leave via an offer sheet.
When Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg step onto the ice in Edmonton tonight as members of the St. Louis Blues, Oilers fans will welcome both with a rousing ovation. Neither was with the team terribly long, but both made an impact, and what might have been will be appreciated on Saturday night as the puck drops. After it does, two Oilers will be looking to put an end to the informal ceremony. Particularly, Vasily Podkolzin aims to prove the Oilers got it right in letting Holloway go via an offer sheet last summer.
Holloway, who was Leon Draisaitl’s left-winger during the Oilers’ deep playoff run last season, signed a lucrative two-year offer sheet with the Blues in August. While losing Broberg also stung, what the Blues paid to get him takes the bitterness off a little. But, with Holloway making $2.29 million per season and with eight goals and 16 points in 27 games, the Blues got themselves a bargain. The Oilers wound up with some picks, but management quickly pivoted, acquiring Podkolzin from the Vancouver Canucks for a fourth-round draft pick in 2025. He’s making $1 million this season and next, and he’s started to get comfortable playing the spot that likely would have been Holloway’s.
Podkolzin, 23, has since become a fixture in Edmonton’s top six, notching three goals and eight points in 26 games. While those numbers don’t jump off the page — and they don’t match Holloway’s production –, his teammates and coaches have praised his versatility and effort.
Draisaitl, who continues to center Podkolzin, has been particularly vocal about his new linemate’s impact. “He gives you everything he has every night. He goes and gets pucks. He goes to the net. If you’re a skilled player, there’s only one puck. You have to have somebody to go and get the puck for you. He does that.”
Podkolzin says his confidence is growing and the Oilers are hoping he starts to ramp up his scoring to match his effort level. If he keeps doing what he’s doing, the puck will go in for him.
Coach Kris Knoblauch said of Podkolzin and Emberson, “They’ve been great, great replacements.” The question is, can Podkozlin be more impactful than Holloway? We’re about to find out.
While it’s the Oilers vs. the Blues, in some ways, it’s also Podkolzin vs. Holloway and Emberson vs. Broberg. Can the Oilers “replacements” be more effective and productive than the Blues’ newest guys?
Podkolzin’s contributions go beyond the scoresheet. He’s played significant minutes on the penalty kill and is now skating alongside Kasperi Kapanen, a recent waiver pickup. His willingness to embrace a team-first role while steadily improving the finer points of his game has earned him a place in the Oilers’ core.
As Edmonton welcomes Holloway and Broberg back tonight, this is going to be a good chance for Podkolzin to demonstrate why GM Stan Bowman’s gamble on him was the right move.
