Edmonton Oilers winger Vasily Podkolzin occupies a unique place on the roster. At 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, with a max speed in the 88th percentile, his size and speed combination stands out among a group of Oilers skill wingers who are undersized. Podkolzin can also hang with skill offensively. At five-on-five in 2025-26, he scored 1.01 goals per 60 and 1.93 points per 60 when playing alongside Leon Draisaitl.For new Oilers head coach Mike Babcock, Podkolzin’s established level of ability makes him an important piece of the puzzle. Does he have another gear?What he does provably wellPodkolzin scored 17 five-on-five goals last season, the leading total among Edmonton wingers and second only to Connor McDavid (24) among all forwards. His 113 shots (third) and 14.4 shooting percentage (second) also ranked high among the team’s forwards. His 237 hits ranked No. 1 on the team, and his 48 blocked shots were second among forwards.Did the Panthers and Lightning fleece the Leafs?Sean McIndoe and Jonas SiegelIf he doesn’t improve an ounce from here, Podkolzin, 25, is on a flight path for success through the end of the decade and beyond. His five-on-five play is strong, he can forecheck, hit, help win pucks along the wall and make plays that are effective and creative.As an outscorer at five-on-five, he’s effective with the best centres on the team (McDavid and Draisaitl) and had the puck going in a good direction when playing on other lines.SituationMinsGF-GAX-Goal Pctw/Draisaitl56334-23 (60 pct)50w/McDavid20711-7 (61 pct)52w/97 and 29293-0 (100 pct)50Solo34411-15 (42 pct)53All numbers five-on-five, via Natural Stat TrickPodkolzin shows well across the board, helping the big scorers thrive and playing well enough on the second and third line to post an impressive expected goal share. The Podkolzin story in Edmonton has been quality play at a value price during his five-on-five minutes.On the power play, he scored 1-2-3 in 38 minutes and was well down the list of options for coach Kris Knoblauch. He delivered well enough in a small sample, but the team’s power-play forwards were McDavid, Draisaitl, Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins all down the line. Podkolzin spent 51 minutes on the PK with pedestrian results.Extra gearsA new coach means new opportunity for productive players, and Podkolzin has more to give. He averaged 14 minutes per game at five-on-five; that number could be stretched out this season. The Oilers have two aging skill wingers in Hyman and Nugent-Hopkins. Podkolzin could take on more of the load.The Oilers’ power play is strong, having scored 184 goals over the past three seasons, tied for first in the NHL. If Babcock wants to change things up and move away from a pure passing unit to one that includes a net-front presence, Podkolzin could be that player. He’s skilled enough to tip point shots and can keep plays alive.