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Canucks have recalled Podolzkin from Abbotsford after making no deadline moves

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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Mar 9 2024, 6:31 pm
Canucks have recalled Podolzkin from Abbotsford after making no deadline moves
Kyle Ross/USA TODAY Sports

The Vancouver Canucks announced this morning that they have recalled Vasily Podkolzin from Abbotsford.


Podkolzin was assigned to the American Hockey League (AHL) yesterday, fueling speculation that they would either sign Phil Kessel or make a trade before yesterday’s deadline. Ultimately, neither came to fruition, paving the way for Podkolzin to be called back up.

The 22-year-old Podkolzin has appeared in just three games with the Canucks this season. In 44 games with the Abbotsford Canucks he has 15 goals and 28 points. Being re-assigned yesterday ensures that he will be able to play in the AHL playoffs this spring.

Podkolzin’s career has yet to take off the way the Canucks organization envisioned when they selected him 10th overall in 2019. The highly-skilled winger appeared in 79 NHL games during the 2021-22 season but has spent large chunks of the last two seasons in the AHL. His potential remains sky-high, and he has shown plenty of promise during his stints with Abbotsford.

Though Canucks fans were disappointed to see no moves made at the deadline, there are still plenty of reasons to be confident about this team as they prepare for the playoffs. Aside from a rough stretch in February, they have been one of the NHL’s most consistent teams all season long and currently sit second in league standings with a 41-17-7 record through 65 games.

While coming out of a stacked group of teams in the Western Conference won’t be an easy task, this Canucks team has given very few reasons to prove they aren’t capable of doing so. There is still plenty of runway to go in the season, but if the playoffs were to begin today, the Canucks would find themselves playing the Vegas Golden Knights in the opening round.

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