Canucks select Vasili Podkolzin with No. 10 pick
The Vancouver Canucks selected Moscow native Vasili Podkolzin with the 10th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft.
Vasili Podkolzin
Position: Right wing
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 196 lbs
Age: 17
Club: Neva Saint Petersburg (VHL)
Nationality: Russian
| GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
(Stats courtesy: EliteProspects.com)
Podkolzin entered the draft as the second-ranked European skater by NHL Central Scouting.
The 17-year-old has incredibly high potential and receives high praise for his strong two-way play. Podkolzin had an extremely busy year, splitting time between three professional clubs in Russia as well as representing his homeland at several international events.
The talented winger impressed with his play at the 2018 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup in August, notching tournament highs of eight goals and 11 points in five games to help Russia finish third.
What they're saying
Vasili Podkolzin is relentless. Are teams too timid to draft him in the top 10? -theScore's Nick Faris
"Podkolzin is a fantastic team player," director of NHL European Scouting Goran Stubb said, according to NHL.com's Adam Kimelman. "During the season he also showed that he is an excellent two-way player. He's very responsible in his defensive play. He's a power forward, an excellent skater."
"Realistically you can wait," one NHL scout said, according to Kimelman. "Most of these kids are going to need two years before they're going to make an impact anyway. … He's a very team-oriented kid, good body language, high compete (level). There's been more talented Russians over the years offensively, but he's a very complete player, a competitive kid. He's not going to fall too far."
Highlights
To view Podkolzin's highlights, click here.