Edmonton Oilers Forward Vasily Podkolzin To Take a Leave of Absence After Sudden Family Tragedy

Just yesterday the Edmonton Oilers and Vasily Podkolzin agreed to a long-term extension.

Now, the Oilers have announced that Podkolzin will miss an extended period of time after the sudden passing of his father.

Podkolzin will be returning to Russia to be with the rest of his family while they work through such an unimaginable tragedy.

Originally drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in the first-round of the 2019 NHL Draft struggled to find a role with the Canucks before being moved to the Edmonton Oilers.

Podkolzin, 24, had a breakout season with the Oilers in 2024-25 tallying a career high 24 points in the NHL and showing flashes of incredible skill and upside at times with good defensive skills to be flexible and play in the bottom-six if needed.

As a result of his strong campaign last year, Podkolzin was expected to play a major role with the Oilers likely playing alongside Leon Draisaitl who gave Podkolzin a glowing review in a recent interview.

As of now, it remains unknown how long Podkolzin plans to be away with his family and when he might re-join the Oilers' lineup.

We send our deepest condolences to Vasily Podkolzin and his family as they grieve and process such an unexpected loss.