Prospect Info: Vasili Podkolzin, Pt. II

[Hoghandler]

are you talking about jonathan tanner miller, the dude who is over ppg and leading our team in scoring and who has made sure ep skipped the sophomore slump? that jt miller?

What makes Miller so good is his complete, 200' game. He's not known as a high end offensive talent. Podkolzin seems to be cut from the same cloth. Very competitive, good forechecker, hard on the puck, good vision/puck moving ability and a hard shot.

What really surprised me from watching Podkolzin at the WJC's was his vision. For a guy that was described as a north/south player with low hockey IQ, that just liked to bull the puck to the net, I thought his ability to make sneaky short passes in tight spaces was his best attribute. Didn't seem to put himself in good shooting positions nearly enough, but at 18, there is still time for him to improve in that area.

Production wise, is this KHL season considered a success for Podkolzin?

 

[canuckking1]

Excellent production down the stretch. For an 18 year old playing for a deep, powerhouse SKA team, is it safe to say this season has been a success for a 10th overall pick?

I'm not convinced this guy has high end offensive talent at the NHL level, but a JT Miller type is certainly a reasonable projection IMO. Just such a complete player.

IMO I see him as the winger Version of Horvat with better vision.

 

[Hoghandler]

IMO I see him as the winger Version of Horvat with better vision.

There are similarities, but Horvat doesn't like contact, and is a friendly player. Podkolzin seems much more comfortable with physical play, and seems to enjoy some confrontation.

Podkolzin is also more of a pass first player, like Miller. Bo prefers to beat his man and get a shot away.

 

[MS]

Production wise, is this KHL season considered a success for Podkolzin?

The good finish brings it up from 'disappointing' to 'acceptable'. A top-10 pick should be excelling, and he definitely hasn't out-performed his draft position this year, but he has probably held ground in the end.

 

[Knight53]

Going to be unfair adding him to our core.

Now that he's actually getting more than 5 mins in ice time he is producing. Who would of thought.

Reminds me so much of Tkachuk.

 

[Diversification]

If CSKA Moscow and SKA St Petersburg were NHL teams, I wonder where they’d end up in the standings. Probably better than Detroit and Ottawa I’d guess.

In that light, cracking the lineup at SKA is pretty promising indicator.

 

[Hoghandler]

The good finish brings it up from 'disappointing' to 'acceptable'. A top-10 pick should be excelling, and he definitely hasn't out-performed his draft position this year, but he has probably held ground in the end.

Russian fans seem to think just playing on that powerhouse SKA team is encouraging. The kid is 18 until the offseason, and that team is stacked up front. You could argue just staying up with SKA for as much as he did was acceptable. And now he's starting to come on...

 

[M2Beezy]

Man I love this prospect

 

[Motte and Bailey]

If MS says our 10th overall pick is “acceptable” it means Podkolzin is going to be a slam dunk 1st liner in the NHL and probably another Calder candidate. Can’t wait to see him in the blue and green.

 

[Lemmiwinks]

The good finish brings it up from 'disappointing' to 'acceptable'. A top-10 pick should be excelling, and he definitely hasn't out-performed his draft position this year, but he has probably held ground in the end.

Yeah, I think I’m a little higher on his production this year than you are. Does anyone know what his production rate would look like if you take out the games in which he played less than 4 minutes?

 

[MS]

Russian fans seem to think just playing on that powerhouse SKA team is encouraging. The kid is 18 until the offseason, and that team is stacked up front. You could argue just staying up with SKA for as much as he did was acceptable. And now he's starting to come on...

He's a top-10 pick. Top-10 picks are expected to excel. He's having a nice blip to end the season, which is good, and in line with what you'd expect given where he was picked.

Prior to this blip, he'd failed to do anything in the KHL and had 2 goals in 18 games against his peers in U-20 competition - yes, he played tough minutes and solid two-way hockey, but the lack of production is a concern.

Again, he's probably done enough to justify his draft position, but he hasn't improved his stock. Or bombed out.

If MS says our 10th overall pick is “acceptable” it means Podkolzin is going to be a slam dunk 1st liner in the NHL and probably another Calder candidate. Can’t wait to see him in the blue and green.

I was one of the highest people here on Pettersson and Boeser. And MacEwan. And Madden.

 

[Motte and Bailey]

He's a top-10 pick. Top-10 picks are expected to excel. He's having a nice blip to end the season, which is good, and in line with what you'd expect given where he was picked.

Prior to this blip, he'd failed to do anything in the KHL and had 2 goals in 18 games against his peers in U-20 competition - yes, he played tough minutes and solid two-way hockey, but the lack of production is a concern.

Again, he's probably done enough to justify his draft position, but he hasn't improved his stock. Or bombed out.



I was one of the highest people here on Pettersson and Boeser. And MacEwan. And Madden.

I have nothing against leaning towards Conservative projections but virtually every single one of our core players have dramatically defied those projections. Beginning to notice a pattern here.

 

[MS]

I have nothing against leaning towards Conservative projections but virtually every single one of our core players have dramatically defied those projections. Beginning to notice a pattern here.

By every single one ... you mean Pettersson and Hughes? And Pettersson, really, by not even that much given his draft position and expectations coming into his rookie season.

 

[Tables of Stats]

By every single one ... you mean Pettersson and Hughes? And Pettersson, really, by not even that much given his draft position and expectations coming into his rookie season.

There are 1st and 2nd overall picks that don't come into the league and do what Pettersson and Hughes did in their rookies seasons. You can't say near PPG and Calder consideration (or outright wins) are the expectation.

 

[VanJack]

There's usually a reason why a promising young star consistently rated in the top three or four, slips to 10th on draft day. I usually involves some slippage in performance down the stretch. But in Podkolzin's case it was a simple matter of 'the Russian factor'. His performance in the WJC as an 18-year old basically confirms that.

When you look at how Jack Hughes and Kakko have struggled this year as rookies in the NHL, you have to wonder if the Canucks have again lucked into a player who should have gone far higher in the draft.

Could lightning strike three times......first Pettersson, then Hughes and now Podkolzin?

 

[MS]

There are 1st and 2nd overall picks that don't come into the league and do what Pettersson and Hughes did in their rookies seasons. You can't say near PPG and Calder consideration (or outright wins) are the expectation.

Hughes, yes.

Pettersson going into the 18-19 season I expected him to walk in and score 50-60 points as a rookie, based on his previous season. He was better than that, but not ridiculously better. And has basically flatlined in his 2nd season.

 

[Motte and Bailey]

There's usually a reason why a promising young star consistently rated in the top three or four, slips to 10th on draft day. I usually involves some slippage in performance down the stretch. But in Podkolzin's case it was a simple matter of 'the Russian factor'. His performance in the WJC as an 18-year old basically confirms that.

When you look at how Jack Hughes and Kakko have struggled this year as rookies in the NHL, you have to wonder if the Canucks have again lucked into a player who should have gone far higher in the draft.

Could lightning strike three times......first Pettersson, then Hughes and now Podkolzin?

Struck lightning with Boeser, Gaudette, Demko, Madden, etc etc etc. Benning is like a cloud full of crepuscular rays

 

[Motte and Bailey]

By every single one ... you mean Pettersson and Hughes? And Pettersson, really, by not even that much given his draft position and expectations coming into his rookie season.

Jt Miller was a projected 60 point forward at best now he’s PPG and a true leader

Horvat was a 40-60 point 2nd-3rd liner at best. Now he’s a 60-70 point 1st line Center who can defend.

Markstrom was an average starter at best, now he’s a Vezina level guy

Boeser was a late 1st who exceeded his expectations

Then Hughes and Pettersson like you mentioned, so yes virtually all of them.

 

[MS]

Struck lightning with Boeser, Gaudette, Demko, Madden, etc etc etc. Benning is like a cloud full of crepuscular rays

Hmmm ... it's almost like that group of players has something in common. And it isn't Jim Benning.

4 picks knocked out of the park from the USHL from the backyard and home league of the scouting director we're about to let go so Benning and Weisbrod can do more amateur scouting.

 

[MS]

Jt Miller was a projected 60 point forward at best now he’s PPG and a true leader

Horvat was a 40-60 point 2nd-3rd liner at best. Now he’s a 60-70 point 1st line Center who can defend.

Markstrom was an average starter at best, now he’s a Vezina level guy

Boeser was a late 1st who exceeded his expectations

Then Hughes and Pettersson like you mentioned, so yes virtually all of them.

JT Miller has nothing to do with drafting and young players. Neither does Markstrom, really. And you probably don't want to have a discussion about how Bennings trade/FA targets have done relative to expectations. Gudbranson? Sutter? Eriksson? Myers?

Bo Horvat has never been anywhere near 70 points.

Boeser has been a massive disappointment since the first 40 games of his career.

 

[Motte and Bailey]

JT Miller has nothing to do with drafting and young players. Neither does Markstrom, really. And you probably don't want to have a discussion about how Bennings trade/FA targets have done relative to expectations. Gudbranson? Sutter? Eriksson? Myers?

Bo Horvat has never been anywhere near 70 points.

Boeser has been a massive disappointment since the first 40 games of his career.

My claim was “virtually all of the Canucks core players have exceeded conservative projections” which isn’t limited to guys we drafted.

Bo has had a very tough season without great line mates and he’s still pacing 65 points. He will hit 80 points pretty soon here.

Boeser has been injured a lot since his first 40 games. Yet he still is much better than he was expected to be. That’s all I need to make my point.

 

[Tables of Stats]

Hughes, yes.

Pettersson going into the 18-19 season I expected him to walk in and score 50-60 points as a rookie, based on his previous season. He was better than that, but not ridiculously better. And has basically flatlined in his 2nd season.

If Pettersson had played a full 82 games he'd have scored 76 points. There's a big gulf between a 50 to 60 point player and one who scores 75+ and you know it.

As for Pettersson's "flat line", which hasn't actually happened or you wouldn't have put a qualifier in front of it, there's a term for that...

 

[beachcomber]

If MS says our 10th overall pick is “acceptable” it means Podkolzin is going to be a slam dunk 1st liner in the NHL and probably another Calder candidate. Can’t wait to see him in the blue and green.

Definitely a good sign, much like Hughes would be a small sheltered third pairing d.

 

[MS]

Definitely a good sign, much like Hughes would be a small sheltered third pairing d.

Show where I said that. 2nd pairing, yes.

Man, people like inventing lies today.

 

[MS]

If Pettersson had played a full 82 games he'd have scored 76 points. There's a big gulf between a 50 to 60 point player and one who scores 75+ and you know it.

As for Pettersson's "flat line", which hasn't actually happened or you wouldn't have put a qualifier in front of it, there's a term for that...

Pettersson's best 10 games as a Canuck were his first 10. He's still been very good, but hasn't built off that start really. Nobody is comparing him to Gretzky anymore.

If you'd asked me to project, I said 50-60 points as a rookie and then would have expect a jump from there maybe into the 70 range. He's been about 10 points better than that. Which is significant but not huge.