Podkolzin rides the pine following strong start
It's the first edition of the weekly tracker, where we tally up the efforts of the Vancouver Canucks' highest-profile prospects:
VASILI PODKOLZIN
He's back, he's better — but he keep getting benched.
After a strong start to his second KHL season, Podkolzin rode the pine much of this past week, seemingly for no fault of his own.
The Canucks' 2019 first rounder played a team-low 8:37 in SKA Saint Petersburg's 2-1 win over Torpedo on Sunday, managing two shots on net despite the limited ice time. Meanwhile, his usual linemates — youngsters Ivan Morozov (18:21) and Kirill Marchenko (16:21) — combined for three points playing on the first line.
Podkolzin was given a paltry 6:40 of ice time in Friday's 2-0 win at Spartak Moscow, and skated for 9:11 in a 5-2 win over Neftekhimik last Monday — but played just 71 seconds in the third period.
It's all very perplexing to see the 19-year-old winger sitting for large stretches. Podkolzin finished last season strong on SKA's `Kid Line' and produced early on in this campaign.
The hard-nosed, softhanded winger had an assist in SKA's season-opening 2-1 win at Neftekhimik, then scored the winner in the team's third game of the season, a 6-4 victory over Torpedo on Sept. 8.
On the goal, Podkolzin went to tough area of the ice to skilfully redirect a shot past the goalie's blocker side.
He finished the game with two shots on net in 12:33 of ice time.
The 6-foot-1, 192-pound winger had 12:57 of ice time the next time out — a 4-2 loss to Locomotiv — while posting a team-high three hits and an even rating.
But that's when SKA head coach Valeri Bragin pulled the reins in.
So why the tough love? When given a regular shift, Podkolzin has been on the positive side of the advanced stat metrics. High-danger shot attempts are being taken when he's on the ice, he's controlling the puck while entering the offensive zone, and has done a good job of getting the puck out of his own end.
He's dominating Corsi-wise while getting his nose dirty, digging out pucks and causing turnovers.
He's just not getting the playing time.
Podkolzin has one goal, one assist, a minus-2 rating and two penalty minutes in eight games this season.
NILS HOGLANDER
Fourth line? Fine by him. Hoglander made the most of his deployment in Rogle BK's season-opening 6-4 win over Linkoping on Saturday, notching two assists and going plus-1 in 11:19 of ice time.
The Canucks' 2019 second-rounder helped get his Swedish Hockey League team on the scoreboard late in the first period, using his elusiveness and quick hands to keep the play alive and dish the puck back to a defenceman for a goal from the point.
The 19-year-old also drew a secondary assist on a power-play goal, cycling the puck from behind the net to help set up an early marker.
The successful season debut comes on the heels of an impressive pre-season that saw the flashy 5-foot-9, 190pound winger pile up eight points in seven games.
NIKITA TRYAMKIN
If you thought you'd heard the last of Tryamkin, think again.
The hulking Russian defenceman has been the driving force on the Avtomobilist blue-line this season, getting plenty playing time while positioning himself among the KHL's league leaders in several defensive statistics.
In his latest game, a 4-3 overtime win over Avangard on Sunday, the Canucks' 2014 third-round pick played a whopping 30:14 while notching an assist, two hits and a minus-1 rating.
It was the first game of the young KHL season in which the 6-foot-8, 254-pound behemoth didn't finish on the plus side of the equation.
He's also been getting time on the power play and the penalty kill, while chipping in offensively.
Tryamkin scored his first of the season on Tuesday, joining the rush and whipping a wrist shot past the Neftekhimik goaltender in a 6-3 win. The left-shot defenceman had four shots on goal, two hits and a plus-1 rating in the win.
In Avtomobilist's other game this past week, a 5-2 win at Kunlun, Tryamkin had two shots on net and a plus-1 rating in 19:49.
Head coach Bill Peters has been counting on Tryamkin and his defensive partner Charles Genoway. Tryamkin is 10th in the league in ice time (23:12 average), ninth in hits (16) and seventh in blocked shots (17).
The big man is doing his part to stay on the Canucks' radar.
Canucks general manager Jim Benning had said he's interested in bringing Tryamkin, who he drafted in 2014, back to the NHL.
Tryamkin played 79 games for the Canucks at the end of the 2015-16 season and through 2016-17. He scored three goals and added eight assists.
The cap-crunched Canucks couldn't fit Tryamkin, who scored two goals and nine assists in 58 games for Avtomobilist last season, on a oneway, one-year deal into their current cap situation for 202021, his agent Todd Diamond told Postmedia in July. Instead, Tryamkin signed a one-year deal to stay in Russia.
The 26-year-old has one goal, two assists, two penalty minutes and a plus-4 rating in seven games this season.