Vasili would be far higher on this list if I was measuring potential only, but there are several risks to picking him up high in the draft. Podkolzin has decent size at 6’1 and 190 pounds, yet there are some concerns as to his strength, and whether he will come over from Russia. Podkolzin got a lot of his hype from the Hlinka Greztky tournament, and while his other stats are decent, they don’t show as much star power as he has shown in the past. Vasili Podkolzin seems to be a somewhat “boom or bust” pick, as there are some potential character issues too.
Niels Nielsen’s 2019 NHL Draft Rankings
