Canucks: Trading Vasily Podkolzin wasn't bad. Not drafting Matt Boldy wasn't good
Article content
One school of thought is did the Canucks give up on the winger too fast by trading him to the Edmonton Oilers last August for a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft?
The answer is no. They got what they could for Podkolzin, who had two assists in 19 games last season and 15 goals in 44 AHL outings, which seldom equates to NHL success. And Podkolzin wouldn't have been waver-exempt this season on a club that added wingers.
Third-line menace Kiefer Sherwood led the NHL in hits the season with 462 and had a career-high 19 goals on a bargain US$1.5 million salary cap hit. He is 30 but is everything the Canucks need in that lineup position to push, lead by example, and also be a key penalty-kill component.
Podkolzin has become a serviceable third-liner for the Oilers, but that's not the career projection for any 10th overall pick. He did manage eight goals and 16 assists this season in 82 games, and has had effective playoff playmaking moments, but where does he project?
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Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'Those aren't easy to find,' a league executive said last week. 'The teams that have those players want to keep them, and the ones available in free agency will come at a high price.' We're also told the club is looking for a right-shot defenceman because veteran Nick Jensen is believed to have had hip surgery last month, which will require a lengthy recovery. There is no timeline for his return, but by all accounts, he won't be ready to start the regular season. Three league executives say a name to keep an eye on with the National Hockey League draft set for June 28-29 is winger Drake Batherson. There was talk at the trade deadline in March that the Senators were listening on Batherson, and his name has surfaced on the market again. Batherson, 27, has two years left on a deal that pays him $4.975 million US per season. 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Ottawa Citizen
33 minutes ago
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National Post
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