The NHL saw an interesting trade go down on Sunday evening, as the Vancouver Canucks dealt former top prospect Vasily Podkolzin to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round (originally from the Ottawa Senators). This move is significant, as the Oilers have offer sheet decisions to make for both Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg.
Overall, when noting that Podkolzin is a former first-round pick who has shown promise, he would have been a good target for the Tampa Bay Lightning to consider.
When looking at the Lightning's current lineup, it is fair to argue that they could use more help on the wing. Had they acquired Podkolzin, he would have at least competed for a spot in the Lightning's bottom six. Yet, when noting that he is only 23 years old, he also would have had the potential to have a more prominent role with the Lightning if he took another step forward in his development.
Podkolzin played in just 19 games this past season with the Canucks, posting two assists and a whopping 70 hits. While his offense was down, he certainly made his presence felt with his immense physicality. In addition, he showed earlier in his career that he could produce decent secondary scoring, as he posted 14 goals and 26 points in 79 games as a rookie.
Ultimately, with the Lightning needing more depth and grit on the wing, taking a shot on a former top prospect like Podkolzin could have been very intriguing. It will be interesting to see if he can take that next step in Edmonton from here.
