AHL demotions for Vasily Podkolzin, Marco Rossi could prove to be fruitful

Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

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If you follow the AHL closely, you can’t complain about the talent you’ve seen this year.

There’s been plenty to enjoy, no matter the team or division. I don’t think I’ve had this much fun following the AHL since I was a kid going to Hamilton Bulldogs games every chance I could with my dad. There’s truly no shortage of quality players this year.

And, for the time being, it’s about to get stronger. After the Seattle Kraken sent down Shane Wright to Coachella Valley for a conditioning stint, Vancouver and Minnesota sent down forwards Vasily Podkolzin and Marco Rossi, respectively, to get some more playing time.

For each player, it’s a much-needed move.

I’ll always preach ice time, no matter the level, as a huge part of development. Quality competition is great, but when a goal-scorer stops scoring, it can be a mental challenge to overcome. Everybody wants to be in the NHL, especially young players that have tasted what it’s like. But sometimes, a step back for a bit can do wonders for a player’s confidence level. Score a few, go back up and earn your spot back. Force your coach to keep you around. Most young players spend their time growing up as one of the best, if not THE best player on their team. Suddenly, they’re spending most of the game watching on the bench, something they’re not used to.

It’s not easy.

Neither player benefits much from playing third or fourth-line minutes. Both have the makings of top-six stalwarts. They’ll get that chance in the AHL and hopefully won’t need to stay there that long. They’re both 21 with bright futures – they just need a bit of seasoning.

Podkolzin, like many young Russian prospects, spent valuable development time playing limited minutes in the KHL. It wasn’t uncommon for him to play a few minutes a night, if not play nothing at all, while the SKA St. Petersburg coaching staff focused on giving ice time to veterans. So while many Europeans can crack pro teams, it doesn’t mean they play a lot. They’ll typically get better coaching and being around the pro lifestyle with veteran teammates can be beneficial, but it comes at the cost of lost ice time.

So when Podkolzin came over to Vancouver last year, there were questions on how he was going to be used, and whether he’d spend the whole year in the NHL. He did, other than a short playoff stint with Abbotsford. Podkolzin had a respectable rookie season with 14 goals and 26 points, with big hopes for 2022-23. Instead, he delivered three assists in 16 games and his ice time wildly fluctuated along the way. A face injury took him out of the lineup for a few nights earlier this month, but it was clear he just needed to play more, and it wasn’t happening given Vancouver’s depth.

The baby Canucks play four games this week, starting with last night’s game against Bakersfield. Podkolzin’s demotion to the AHL, for however long it is, could end up proving to be the most ice time he’s seen in his pro hockey career, and that’s exciting. He was taken 10th overall in 2019 for a reason – he’s a skilled winger that plays with a level of edginess you don’t always get out of goal-scorers. He just needed the proper platform to do this.

So far, so good. Podkolzin scored in his first game with Abbotsford – an empty netter – but he was physical, created chances and looked determined.

And then there’s Rossi, who also didn’t get to play a whole ton before coming over to North America. Rossi’s situation was more serious, though, as he missed nearly all of 2020-21 due to COVID-19 complications. That forced him to play catchup the following season, and he thrived high up in the Iowa Wild’s lineup. Rossi decimated the pre-season scoring race with nine points in six games, easily earning a spot in the lineup. But it’s been a struggle ever since with just one assist on Nov. 1 to show for.

Had Rossi not dominated in pre-season action (and, to be fair, it helped he played as many games as he did), he might have even started the year back in Iowa to begin with. He’ll have no shortage of opportunity now given the team sits sixth out of seven teams in the Central Division, so he’ll be given a key role right away. After struggling to maintain consistent playing time – he hasn’t been in the lineup since a 6-4 loss to Pittsburgh on Nov. 17 – this was a much-needed move and one that probably should have happened earlier.

Rossi’s 2022-23 AHL debut was even better than Podkolzin’s: a goal and added two assists in a 4-3 victory over the Barracuda. Rossi was precisely as advertised and more. From watching him, he looked quicker and more aggressive on the puck than he did a year ago. Working with NHL coaches clearly paid off.

It’s still early in both players’ developments, which have taken wildly different paths. Podkolzin had a full year of NHL action but wasn’t getting favorable opportunities. Rossi looked ready to make the jump, but he wasn’t going to have his full impact deeper in the lineup. They’re both set for big minutes in the AHL, where they’ll be counted on to create damage.

I believe in both. Let’s see how they bounce back.

AHL demotions for Vasily Podkolzin, Marco Rossi could prove to be fruitful

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