HC Kris Knoblauch shares Vasily Podkolzin's return timeline after Oilers' forward's personal leave of absence

Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch gave an update on Vasily Podkolzin's availability. The winger had taken a leave of absence from the team due to his father's death. Podkolzin returned home to Russia for a few days and is expected to be back in Edmonton this week.

According to Knoblauch, Podkolzin will land in Edmonton on Tuesday, which means he will not be ready for the game against the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday. After two days of practice skating, the 24-year-old will likely take the ice in the final preseason fixture against the Vancouver Canucks on Friday.

"Yeah, we're expecting his flight to come back Tuesday night," Knoblauch said. (4:44) "So we're not going to get him in that Wednesday game. He'll skate on Wednesday, skate on Thursday, and then hopefully he can play that last exhibition game."

Vasily Podkolzin was an important addition to Edmonton's second line last season alongside Leon Draisaitl. He was traded to the team from the Canucks last August. Before coming to Edmonton, Podkolzin had 59 points in 219 regular-season games, with 91 penalty minutes.

As a forward looking to battle for the puck in tight corners, he helped the Oilers' five-on-five play with his defensive work, earning a +2.9 Even-Strength Defensive Rating. He had the most hits for the team at 211 while ranking 90th in percentile rating for forecheck pressure in retrieving pucks.

Podkolzin clocked 13:12 minutes of ice time per game, a career high. His performance earned praise from his linemate Leon Drasaitl and earned him a three-year $8.85 million extension at the club that will start from next season after his current contract expires.

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Oilers' top guns fire them to victory against Canucks

Oilers' top line of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Trent Frederic scored three goals, with Draisaitl scoring a power play goal to ensure a 4-3 win over the Canucks on Sunday night. McDavid scored within 90 seconds of the game, with Trent Frederic doubling the lead 10 minutes later.

Drasaitl's power play goal made it 3-0 at the end of the second period. The Canucks pulled two goals back, but McDavid provided an insurance goal to settle the game and earn their 4th win of the preseason.

Owing to Vasily Podkolzin and Zach Hyman's absence, McDavid and Draisaitl are playing together. Once at full strength, the two superstars will lead the top two lines for the Oilers.