Fansided

FanSided’s NHL Draft rankings: Top 15 prospects (June edition)

By Simon Vacca

KOSICE, SLOVAKIA - MAY 18: Jack Hughes #6 of USA looks on during the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Slovakia group A game between Denmark and United States at Steel Arena on May 18, 2019 in Kosice, Slovakia. (Photo by Lukasz Laskowski/PressFocus/MB Media/Getty Images)
KOSICE, SLOVAKIA - MAY 18: Jack Hughes #6 of USA looks on during the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Slovakia group A game between Denmark and United States at Steel Arena on May 18, 2019 in Kosice, Slovakia. (Photo by Lukasz Laskowski/PressFocus/MB Media/Getty Images) /
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VANCOUVER , BC – JANUARY 5: Vasili Podkolzin #11 of Russia pounds the glass after tossing his stick into the crowd following a bronze medal game against Switzerland at the IIHF World Junior Championships at Rogers Arena on January 5, 2019 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Light/Getty Images)
VANCOUVER , BC – JANUARY 5: Vasili Podkolzin #11 of Russia pounds the glass after tossing his stick into the crowd following a bronze medal game against Switzerland at the IIHF World Junior Championships at Rogers Arena on January 5, 2019 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Light/Getty Images) /

10. Vasili Podkolzin

DOB: June 24, 2001 (age 17)
Position: RW
Shoots: L
Team: SKA St. Petersburg — MHL
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 185 pounds

Another one of the more polarizing characters in this year’s draft class, Vasili Podkolzin is undoubtedly an offensively aware forward, whose ability to play in a defensively accountable manner will score him significant points on the radars of certain organizations.

That said, Podkolzin has fallen down a broad range of ranking charts, in part because of the fact that the 17-year-old winger has made clear that he would like to see the remainder of his two year contract in the KHL out. The fact that he may have been hailed as elite in certain circles while being regarded as a step or two down from that in others does not help him as we near closer to June 21.

Nonetheless, the potential of Podkolzin’s ceiling promises to ensure that the dice will be rolled on the Russian at some point in the first round. After all, writing him off from the up and coming sweepstakes could prove to be a mistake of the costly variety.

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