RW/LW Vasili Podkolzin (2019, 10th, VAN) Part 4

[4Twenty]

By "young players don't get to play" I assume he means "Podkolzin doesn't get to play". Plenty of young players are playing in KHL just fine.

It’s dumb.

Podkolzin averages 12 even strength minutes a game in the KHL. That’s more 5 on 5 minutes than either Hughes or Kakko played in the NHL this season.

He’s absolutely getting KHL ice time. Vancouver folks just think he should be doing in the khl what he did against considerably weaker competition in the Karjala Cup. They think he could be, but everyone is conspiring against Podkolzin in their minds.

 

[Fatass]

It’s dumb.

Podkolzin averages 12 even strength minutes a game in the KHL. That’s more 5 on 5 minutes than either Hughes or Kakko played in the NHL this season.

He’s absolutely getting KHL ice time. Vancouver folks just think he should be doing in the khl what he did against considerably weaker competition in the Karjala Cup. They think he could be, but everyone is conspiring against Podkolzin in their minds.

How many players, while growing 3-4 inches over an 18 month period, keep their previous growth athleticism? Pods grew, and is catching up to that growth spurt. Guy is clearly going to be another Canuck Calder Finalist (2021/22). Will that make 4 in six years? Has any team had that before?

 

[4Twenty]

How many players, while growing 3-4 inches over an 18 month period, keep their previous growth athleticism? Pods grew, and is catching up to that growth spurt. Guy is clearly going to be another Canuck Calder Finalist (2021/22). Will that make 4 in six years? Has any team had that before?

I swear you don’t actually watch this player. He’s not 6’4”. He doesn’t look 6’4”. He looks shorter than Marchenko who’s only 6’2”. I think somebody at the KHL made a data entry error for that height mistake.


Hopefully the world juniors happens so that mistake can be corrected. He’s 6’1” as of December 2019 when he was measured for the WJC.

 

[Fatass]

I swear you don’t actually watch this player. He’s not 6’4”. He doesn’t look 6’4”. He looks shorter than Marchenko who’s only 6’2”. I think somebody at the KHL made a data entry error for that height mistake.


Hopefully the world juniors happens so that mistake can be corrected. He’s 6’1” as of December 2019 when he was measured for the WJC.

Your choice to not like the player. Imo Pods will be great in the National league. Pods combines size, skill, character, smarts, toughness, hard work, commitment, and leadership. He’s going to be respected by teammates, and trusted by coaches. Like I said before: he’s a Calder Finalist in 2022. (I’m a Canuck’s fan, of course, so my perspective will differ from those who aren’t Canuck’s fans, and don’t want to see so many great young players on that team.)

 

[Hansen]

Your choice to not like the player. Imo Pods will be great in the National league. Pods combines size, skill, character, smarts, toughness, hard work, commitment, and leadership. He’s going to be respected by teammates, and trusted by coaches. Like I said before: he’s a Calder Finalist in 2022. (I’m a Canuck’s fan, of course, so my perspective will differ from those who aren’t Canuck’s fans, and don’t want to see so many great young players on that team.)

No Pod actually hasn't grown 3-4" your assertion that he is struggling due to growing 3-4 inches is totally false

It's a typo on the KHL website, his own team's website still lists him as 6'1

 

[4Twenty]

Your choice to not like the player. Imo Pods will be great in the National league. Pods combines size, skill, character, smarts, toughness, hard work, commitment, and leadership. He’s going to be respected by teammates, and trusted by coaches. Like I said before: he’s a Calder Finalist in 2022. (I’m a Canuck’s fan, of course, so my perspective will differ from those who aren’t Canuck’s fans, and don’t want to see so many great young players on that team.)

I think you misinterpret what I’ve been saying I’ve never once said I don’t like the player. I’m correcting your erroneous statement.

Nobody cares that’s he’s a Canucks draft pick. They’re commenting on his actual on ice khl play.

I don’t think his khl performance suggests a Calder nor do I really care. I’m more worried about what this player becomes for the Canucks in 2 or 3 years. Expecting JT Miller which is what a lot of Canucks fans are, out of the gate seems like unrealistic expectations.

I don’t see a 60 point nhler out of the gate. Hopefully he develops into one.

 

[Caser]

I swear you don’t actually watch this player. He’s not 6’4”. He doesn’t look 6’4”. He looks shorter than Marchenko who’s only 6’2”. I think somebody at the KHL made a data entry error for that height mistake.


Hopefully the world juniors happens so that mistake can be corrected. He’s 6’1” as of December 2019 when he was measured for the WJC.

They don't measure players for the WJC, 6'1" is the measurement from the Draft Combine.

As for being shorter than Marchenko, at the last year's WJC he was clearly shorter that than both Morozov and Marchenko, yet if we look at the celebration on this video (0:13-0:14), it doesn't look like he is much shorter than Marchenko (if shorter at all) and clearly taller than Morozov:



Obviously, not a perfect video for evaluation, but still it makes me think there was at least somekind of a growth spurt for Podkolzin recently.

 

[Atas2000]

I would be silent & hear an opinion of those writers if .... if they regularly travel to the KHL cities to watch at least 50-100 live KHL matches per season. Who is doing it from those American/Canadian writers?

This is exactly the reason why I am on this board and read NA writers about the NHL. I think people who actually follow the league every day have more knowlwedgeable insights about it than a guy sitting in front of his laptop on the other side of the globe.

 

[Atas2000]

They don't measure players for the WJC, 6'1" is the measurement from the Draft Combine.

As for being shorter than Marchenko, at the last year's WJC he was clearly shorter that than both Morozov and Marchenko, yet if we look at the celebration on this video (0:13-0:14), it doesn't look like he is much shorter than Marchenko (if shorter at all) and clearly taller than Morozov:



Obviously, not a perfect video for evaluation, but still it makes me think there was at least somekind of a growth spurt for Podkolzin recently.

You can see it clearly in the vid if you watch him often enough. He definitely has grown and looks way taller. How much is hard to tell and quite irrelevant I think.

 

[4Twenty]

You can see it clearly in the vid if you watch him often enough. He definitely has grown and looks way taller. How much is hard to tell and quite irrelevant I think.

He doesn’t look any taller to me. Definitely looks shorter (might be skating style) on the ice.

Objects in the foreground of an image generally appear taller than what’s behind them.

If he grew Marchenko must’ve too. I thought he was actually 6’4” but might just be his lanky body type.

 

[vorky]

This is exactly the reason why I am on this board and read NA writers about the NHL. I think people who actually follow the league every day have more knowlwedgeable insights about it than a guy sitting in front of his laptop on the other side of the globe.

Especially if that guy with a laptop has prejudices. And that the case with the KHL & Russia generally for any Westerner.

This Button guy claims that he works for TSN. It is big news & sport company in the Canadian market. So, is it so complicated for him to call to SKA to ask directly Rotenberg? Perhaps it is because Rotenbergs´ social & influential status is much higher than any NHL owner.

I am sure these Canadian hockey journalists would be welcomed at any SKA/KHL game. I know their daily job is the NHL but they would just win by visiting the KHL games. At least, they would have a clue what is going on here. For example, they would know the KHL clubs using the smaller ice. Of course, if they even tried to understand the KHL & its life. This unwillingness is often a huge problem.

 

[4Twenty]

Especially if that guy with a laptop has prejudices. And that the case with the KHL & Russia generally for any Westerner.

This Button guy claims that he works for TSN. It is big news & sport company in the Canadian market. So, is it so complicated for him to call to SKA to ask directly Rotenberg? Perhaps it is because Rotenbergs´ social & influential status is much higher than any NHL owner.

I am sure these Canadian hockey journalists would be welcomed at any SKA/KHL game. I know their daily job is the NHL but they would just win by visiting the KHL games. At least, they would have a clue what is going on here. For example, they would know the KHL clubs using the smaller ice. Of course, if they even tried to understand the KHL & its life. This unwillingness is often a huge problem.

Craig Button is a former nhl general manager if you’re not aware.

I do think he’s playing into old stereotypes of the KHL.

That was a surprisingly unprofessional rant from him imo.

This he said she said stuff sucks. I’m pretty sure everyone posting in this thread wants more from the player. Canucks, ska and Russian national fans alike.

Nobody is saying he’s bad in here. I think some of the Calder, top line winger in the nhl talk is above what he’s shown currently but it doesn’t mean I don’t think he can help right away and become a big part of the team into the future. But apparently this thinking means I hate him.

 

[Atas2000]

He doesn’t look any taller to me. Definitely looks shorter (might be skating style) on the ice.

Objects in the foreground of an image generally appear taller than what’s behind them.

If he grew Marchenko must’ve too. I thought he was actually 6’4” but might just be his lanky body type.

I mean I watch him for quite some time now. I am not judging by any objects in the vid. I am judgung by what I remeber him to look before. He definitely added height.

 

[M2Beezy]

How many players, while growing 3-4 inches over an 18 month period, keep their previous growth athleticism? Pods grew, and is catching up to that growth spurt. Guy is clearly going to be another Canuck Calder Finalist (2021/22). Will that make 4 in six years? Has any team had that before?

What do you mean 4 in 6 years?

2017-18 Boeser
2018-19 Pettersson
2019-20 Hughes
2020-21 Rathbone
2021-22 Podz

Thats 5 in 5 years pal

 

[Zahra Starker]

How many players, while growing 3-4 inches over an 18 month period, keep their previous growth athleticism? Pods grew, and is catching up to that growth spurt. Guy is clearly going to be another Canuck Calder Finalist (2021/22). Will that make 4 in six years? Has any team had that before?

Do you even watch him play? He's 6'1 and not an inch taller. 3-4inches? Lol. Calder finalist? Lol.

 

[Guttersniped]

This is by far the dumbest thing I've ever heard a hockey pundit say. Jesus Christ, Craig Button should be ashamed and apologize. He's basically dragging an entire country of hockey players and the 2nd best league in the world just because he's a Podkolzin fanboy. And what's his point about KHL players not being able to play in the NHL? It's cool, Panarin just had 95 points last season. Radulov had back-to-back 70+ point seasons recently, Dadonov had 70 points year before last as well and three straight 25+ goal seasons. What a bunch of utter nonsense. I had very little respect for Button prior to this, but now the last sliver of respect I did have is gone. Not only is he incompetent, he's also a moron.

I can barely wrap my head around Button’s point about older players who “don’t like the pace” and “don’t want to compete”. It’s not the other KHL players who decide his playing time. Is he really suggesting his KHL teammates’, or the entire league’s, lack of competitive fire, intensity, speed or whatever the hell else he’s rambling about, is dragging down Pod?

Holy smokes, I get disliking a specific coach’s handling of a prospect, particularly in a non-development pro league, but blaming the KHL players and their collective weak sauce game for Podkolzin’s growing pains is a certainly a hot take.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

It’s dumb.

Podkolzin averages 12 even strength minutes a game in the KHL. That’s more 5 on 5 minutes than either Hughes or Kakko played in the NHL this season.

He’s absolutely getting KHL ice time. Vancouver folks just think he should be doing in the khl what he did against considerably weaker competition in the Karjala Cup. They think he could be, but everyone is conspiring against Podkolzin in their minds.

Craig Button is not "vancouver folks". He might have been playing to his audience, but then Craig would know as well as anyone that what you say on Vancouver radio doesn't stay in Vancouver.

As far as the quality of the khl goes: is Markus Granlund still top 10 in league scoring? Is linden Vey still a top forward on a good team?

 

[Guttersniped]

Craig Button is not "vancouver folks". He might have been playing to his audience, but then Craig would know as well as anyone that what you say on Vancouver radio doesn't stay in Vancouver.

As far as the quality of the khl goes: is Markus Granlund still top 10 in league scoring? Is linden Vey still a top forward on a good team?

If KHL salaries averaged out to +3m USD then more high end offensive players would get their ass over to Russia to play rather than leave it for the NHL.

The problem with Button’s nonsensical rant is the he’s claiming Podkolzin is a NHL quality player now but he’s not excelling in the KHL because his energetic fast hard-nosed style of play is rejected en masse by the KHL because their players are laidback sandbagging softies who play gooey loser hockey. These aren’t his exact words because I’m not going to listen to it again but it’s the spirit of it. His argument is train wreck, it’s “guys who want to win” will want to play with Pod but KHL players won’t so they don’t want to win (?). You can like the kid and you can even think his KHL coach is woefully underutilizing him without coming up with whatever this is and saying it on the radio.

Also Button weirdly tries to prove his point KHL players by saying their top scorers all come over to the NHL and fail. This is obviously not true and, as a side note, I also want say as a Devils fan Gusev’s NHL debut was hindered somewhat by our season being a complete train wreck and in fact he was one of the few bright spots. He managed to get 44 points in 66 games being centered by Travis Zajac and Pavel Zacha on a team who’s power play should have been taken behind the barn and shot. I don’t want to make it sound like he struggled or seemed unhappy, he took some time to adjust but he played great and seemed popular with his teammates. Goose is admittedly not fast but he’s wildly talented, immensely entertaining and makes other players better with his playmaking. [Sorry for this very long unrelated tangent but I’ve had a few drinks, love Goose and Button pissed me off.]

 

[Atas2000]

Craig Button is not "vancouver folks". He might have been playing to his audience, but then Craig would know as well as anyone that what you say on Vancouver radio doesn't stay in Vancouver.

As far as the quality of the khl goes: is Markus Granlund still top 10 in league scoring? Is linden Vey still a top forward on a good team?

The most ignorant argument that disqualifies you fromt the discussion about leagues actually. Is Bobrovskiy a two time Vezina winner?

You obviously have no idea about the KHL quality. And you also don't know how one could properly compare the level of leagues. Button is a moron who should shut up about the KHL, just because he has no idea about the league. He can be the greatest expert on the NHL all he wants(I don't care if he is or isn't). When he talks about the KHL he just sounds like an ignorant fool or a biased, agenda driven propagandist.

 

[SoundAndFury]

I and Atas aren't usually best pals but he has a point here.

 

[Orca Smash]

Like most canucks prospect threads there's agendas on either side, the truth is likely is somewhere in between.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

The most ignorant argument that disqualifies you fromt the discussion about leagues actually. Is Bobrovskiy a two time Vezina winner?

You obviously have no idea about the KHL quality. And you also don't know how one could properly compare the level of leagues. Button is a moron who should shut up about the KHL, just because he has no idea about the league. He can be the greatest expert on the NHL all he wants(I don't care if he is or isn't). When he talks about the KHL he just sounds like an ignorant fool or a biased, agenda driven propagandist.

I watched probably more than half the total nhl games played by Granlund and Vey. I don't know if that makes me an expert on their abilities or not, but I can deduce something about another league if they're top players in it. You're right though there can be no proper comparison. If only the Stanley Cup winner would play the KHL winner for the world championship of hockey, might be a tight series eh?

 

[Atas2000]

I watched probably more than half the total nhl games played by Granlund and Vey. I don't know if that makes me an expert on their abilities or not, but I can deduce something about another league if they're top players in it. You're right though there can be no proper comparison. If only the Stanley Cup winner would play the KHL winner for the world championship of hockey, might be a tight series eh?

Obviously you don't understand how it works and that's the core of your problem.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Wait just to be clear, we are going to make the I bet the guy isn't watching argument with Craig Button? A guy that most of his hockey colleagues marvel at the amount of hockey he watches. You have big name scouts that admit they are stunned the amount they see Button at hockey games and he works in a state of the art media center? That guy, yeah I am going to go ahead and say the arguments being made that he doesn't understand who this is and how these leagues work is one of the worst I have read in a while...

I am not a Button guy, I don't dislike him and I know a lot of posters around here do. But his passion for the sport is pretty unquestioned. There are few people that love the sport more across several levels in my opinion than Craig Button.

 

[docbenton]

Podkolzin doesn't play the PP unlike his linemates. That's a significant reason for the difference in production IMO and that's on coaching. Not saying it's wrong, but it's a choice that's being made against the young player, aside from jerking him in and out of the lineup in different spots.