EDMONTON — How on earth does a team like the Edmonton Oilers, in the middle of their Stanley Cup window, end up with an emerging, 25-year-old power forward like Vasily Podkolzin?

From a Vancouver team that could dearly use such a player? For just the miserly price of a fourth-round draft pick, no less?

Well, it all started with a phone call from former Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman, to his former head coach in Chicago, Jeremy Colliton, who just happened to be Podkolzin’s head coach in AHL Abbotsford.

“I was already leaving to go to New Jersey at the time he called me, and I think Stan had recently taken the job in Edmonton. (Podkolzin) was available, I guess is the best way to put it,” began Colliton, over the phone from New Jersey.

“I felt like he could be a top-nine guy on a top team, just because of the package that he offers. I could see him playing the playoffs. Probably a complementary player in the top nine. Obviously, he's in a pretty good complementary spot right now.”

Colliton had Podkolzin in Abbotsford for 72 games over two seasons (2022-24). He quite liked the player, but it is clear........

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