The Edmonton Oilers made a clear statement about their vision for the future on Tuesday, announcing a three-year contract extension for forward Vasily Podkolzin.
Not waiting for a McDavid extension to be completed before conducting other important business, the extension for Podkolkin demonstrates two key points: the Oilers aren't sitting on their hands, and they care about showing McDavid that they have plans for this roster.
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The Podkolzin Deal
The Vasily Podkolzin deal is a good one. An extension that carries an average annual value of $2.95 ($1 million in signing bonus and $1.95 million in salary), the forward looks to be a solid keep, with a good chance that he breaks out offensively and becomes worth far more than his annual average salary.
Podkolzin was one of several pending UFAs the Oilers needed to get locked into new deals. His was arguably going to be the most cost effective of the bunch. As the salary cap explodes over the next few seasons, this is both a value bet and a tradeable piece if things don't pan out.
Podkolzin, 24, skated in all 82 regular-season games in 2024-25 during his first year with Edmonton, posting eight goals and 16 assists along with 48 penalty minutes. He also contributed 10 points in 22 playoff games, including two goals in the Stanley Cup Final.
Known for his physicality and willingness to be disruptive (in a good way), the right-winger led the team with 211 hits and logged a career-high 13:13 of ice time per game, including 60:05 on the penalty kill. Perhaps not the most dynamic of offensively gifted wingers, Podkolzin has been praised by coaches and teammates for being the hardest-working member of the team.
McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have both openly talked about Podkolzin's energy and willingness to get better.
What Message Does This Send To McDavid?
By extending Podkolzin, the Oilers signal to McDavid that the organization is serious about locking up players they see as integral moving forward. Ideally, McDavid would be the first to sign, but he's waiting to see something and get a "feeling" that this is a team that will compete beyond this season. Adding Podkolzin for three more years isn't necessarily a game-changer, but it shows the captain that Edmonton is serious about assembling a core of talented, complementary pieces.
That's something McDavid has indirectly hinted at in his comments to the media over the past few weeks.
Oilers' GM: “When I Talk to Connor, It’s Never About Money.”
Stan Bowman spoke with the media on Wednesday, and had a lot of information to share when it came to what his conversations look, sound, and feel like with <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/latest-news/takeaways-from-mcdavid-s-worrying-32-thoughts-interview">Connor McDavid</a>.
The message is clear: Edmonton is thinking long-term, and whether McDavid continues to wait or he signs imminently, the Oilers have business to take care of. Part of that business is ensuring that they are protecting their young contributors. Podkolzin fits that mold.
All the while, with Podkolzin locked in, and negotiations ongoing with defensemen Jake Walman and Mattias Ekholm, the Oilers are taking tangible steps to demonstrate that they are building a future worth committing to.
In a recent Oilers Nation mailbag, Jason Gregor and Tyler Yaremchuk both noted that locking in younger players like Podkolzin is critical to providing McDavid with a roster capable of sustaining championship contention. Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos said on Monday that he wasn't sure what McDavid was waiting to see that he didn't see on July 1. Perhaps securing players like Podkolzin will factor into that "feeling" McDavid is waiting for. Kypreos made a solid point that McDavid signing in Edmonton before anything else got done makes the whole media circus surrounding McDavid's extension seem pointless. However, securing key players at reasonable deals shows McDavid something he might not have seen when he was first eligible to extend.
Are More Extensions Coming Before McDavid?
A three-year deal for Podkolzin now will lead to an interesting question: Will others get signed before McDavid does?
Perhaps the Oilers have decided their best course of action is to remain patient with McDavid, but conduct what they deem to be other important business. If it has a positive impact how McDavid feels about the organization's future, great. If it doesn't, these were important pieces and getting them signed demonstrates that each believes in the future of the team, even if McDavid isn't certain.
Insiders hinted that the Oilers were discussing a six-year extension for blueliner Jake Walman. If signed, it would fall in the $6 million range. That would be a very blunt message that both Walman and the Oilers believe he's a part of their future, another message indirectly being sent to McDavid.
His extension might be next, and it could come before McDavid signs his deal.
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