Leon Draisaitl praised teammate Vasily Podkolzin after the Oilers victory over the New York Rangers (Credits: Getty)

Vasily Podkolzin’s first point of the season came after 22 games, as the Russian winger opened the scoring in the Oilers’ 6-2 victory over the New York Rangers on Saturday. While his stats haven’t been the best to show, his teammates, including Leon Draisaitl, acknowledged his work ethic.

After the game, Draisaitl appreciated Podkolzin’s play and called him one of the most underrated players in the league. He hoped that his form would continue and more goals would come his way.

“Yeah, the same as every night. He’s a really, really good hockey player. He’s really underrated, and he does a lot of things that go unnoticed and that a lot of people that don’t really understand hockey, they don’t pick up on it, but he’s a really underrated hockey player. Obviously, very happy for him to get on the board. He’s had plenty of looks and, hopefully, yeah, opens the floodgates a little bit,” Draisaitl said.

Vasily Podkolzin earned his place in the Edmonton offense after Dylan Holloway signed with the St. Louis Blues. He was traded to the Oilers from the Canucks after a lackluster last two seasons since 2022, where he played just 58 games, spending most of his time in the AHL after a promising rookie year in which he recorded 26 points in 74 games.

This season, Podkolzin had amassed 30 shots but hadn’t managed to score until his 31st attempt. With 2:26 remaining in the first period, Vasily’s shot went swiftly off the post and inside the Rangers’ net.

Kris Knoblauch recognizes special night for Vasily Podkolzin’s parents

Even Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch made his opinions clear about Vasily Podkolzin recognizing the wingman’s work ethic. After the game, Knoblauch also said that the former Canucks’ player’s goal came at the best time possible, as this was the final game before his parents would be heading back home.

“What was really nice about tonight was his parents have been here for about three weeks, and tonight was their last night here. They’re leaving tomorrow. So, yeah, it’s nice that they got to see that,” Knoblauch said.

Vasily would hope he continues in the same form. The Oilers have gone 5-2-1 in their last eight outings and sit fourth in the Pacific Division. They have a few days off before they take on Utah on Friday night on the road.