Canucks "gaining confidence" in Vasily Podkolzin's untapped potential
The freshman blessings have continued for the Vancouver Canucks.
For the fifth straight year, the Canucks have had a rookie make an impressive mark at the NHL level. This started with Brock Boeser (2017) and continued with Elias Pettersson (2018), Quinn Hughes (2019), Nils Hoglander (2020), and now, Vasily Podkolzin.
Although Podkolzin is worthy of joining that list, there’s been something entirely different about his contributions to the hockey club.
On the surface, his counting stats of 11 goals and 20 points in 71 games doesn’t seem overly impressive.
Among rookies, Podkolzin ranks 21st in points and 17th in goals.
Even though he hasn’t lit up the scoresheet, the young Russian has found other ways to make an impact.
Is Podkolzin creating a scoring chance every time he’s on the ice? Honestly! #Canucks
— Darryl Keeping (@dkeeping) April 13, 2022
Podkolzin possesses a high level of defensive zone awareness and polish that most rookies don’t have. His ability to make smart decisions and read the play has him winning over the Canucks’ head coach.
This was what Boudreau had to say to Daily Hive when asked about Podkolzin’s impact despite not registering a point against the San Jose Sharks.
“I thought he played really good. He was stickhandling, making moves, passing.
“I think a little bit of bad luck, I mean, this stuff next year will be going in the net for him.
“He’s certainly gaining a lot of confidence, and I’m gaining a lot of confidence in him and Chiasson. It’s two big guys that can play that kind of game where they forecheck pretty well and are pretty responsible right now, so I hope he keeps it going; it’s good for him.”
Well, Boudreau’s trust in Podkolzin paid off on Tuesday against the Vegas Golden Knights when the 20-year-old scored his first goal in 18 games.
Does the rookie have the best celly's on the team? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/lwAMPTPXSd
— Vancouver #Canucks (@Canucks) April 13, 2022
Although it’s nice to see him hit the scoresheet, it’s apparent that Podkolzin has had a bigger impact on the Canucks than his point totals would suggest.
Podkolzin’s winning over teammates
Not only is Podkolzin winning over his head coach, but he’s also winning over his teammates.
Both Bo Horvat and JT Miller raved about the rookie when asked about his play earlier this week.
“I think he’s probably the guy we talk about the most in the room, [Miller] and I together. He’s an undercover, really fast skater, he’s probably got the hardest shot on our team, and his work ethic is through the roof.”
“He’s always in the gym, always the first guy on the ice at practice, and he’s just continued to keep getting better over the course of the year.
“He’s going to be a heck of a player for a lot of years in this league.
Miller showered the 20-year-old with similar praise.
“I just think the sky’s the limit for him. He doesn’t seem to struggle with anything.
“Like Bo says, when he takes off, he can beat a guy wide any shift, he can shoot as hard as anybody, and he’s the first guy on, the last guy off every single day.
“It’s a guy you’d love to play with on any given night.”
Camera shy 🎥 pic.twitter.com/7aavEHBBjX
— Vancouver #Canucks (@Canucks) April 13, 2022
Although Podkolzin isn’t lighting the lamp with consistency, a primary reason why he’s winning his teammates over is that he’s defensively responsible.
Among Canucks forwards, Podkolzin’s 1.81 goals against per-60 at even strength is the second-best mark on the team.
Only Jason Dickinson is better at 1.79 goals against per-60, although the fact that he’s been a black hole offensive overshadows those defensive contributions.
Dickinson’s has a goals-for percentage of 43.7%, while Podkolzin is sitting at 57.6%. Only Tanner Pearson and Conor Garland rank higher among Canucks forwards.
Podkolzin is filling in admirably for missing Canucks
With the Canucks needing to win the rest of their games to make the playoffs, it’s not an ideal time to be missing multiple top-six forwards.
Podkolzin’s rock-solid second-line presence softens the blow of losing multiple guys at this crucial juncture.
Over the last six games, Podkolzin’s average ice time has increased drastically from 12:10 to 15:23 per contest.
Since Podkolzin’s bump in ice time back on March 30th, the Canucks are controlling 53.6% of shot attempts, and they’ve outscored the opposition 3-1 at even-strength.
The rookie was even rewarded with some power-play time, where he buried his first career man-advantage marker against the Golden Knights.
Although he’s brought a different element compared to other Canucks rookies, Podkolzin has already cemented himself as an extremely valuable piece for this organization moving forward.
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