Following Sunday's matchup against the Vancouver Canucks, media spoke with Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch about the status of forward Vasily Podkolzin. He confirmed to reporters that Podkolzin will return to Edmonton on Tuesday night.

The forward, who sadly and suddenly lost his father, will get some more time to get settled upon his return, but Knoblauch plans to play him in the team’s final preseason game on Friday.

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Podkolzin’s father, Alexander, passed away unexpectedly. Vasily returned to his Russia on a leave of absence to be with his family. It wasn't expected that the forward would miss any regular season action, but there was no official timeline for his return. 

The Oilers will be thrilled to have him back and on the ice with his teammates. Knoblauch talked about how respected Podkolzin is in the locker room and a very popular guy. 

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The news of his father's passing came almost immediately after one of the best days of his career -- he had just signed a three-year, $8.85 million contract extension with the Oilers.

Edmonton sees him as a big part of this season and the next several years. He is hoping to take the next step in his production, following a 2024-25 campaign where he scored 24 points over 82 games.

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