The 19-year-old forward, who was the No. 10 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, scored 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 35 regular-season games for SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League this season. He also scored a team-high 11 points (six goals, five assists) in 16 playoff games, helping St. Petersburg advance to the third round.
In three seasons in the KHL, Podkolzin scored 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in 68 regular-season games and 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 20 playoff games.
"Vasily is a competitor who plays an aggressive game," Canucks general manager Jim Benning said. "He's effective using his size and skill to get to the net and produce offensively. We're pleased to sign him today and look forward to adding him to our young core of skilled players."
Podkolzin played for Russia at the IIHF World Junior Championship from 2019-21, helping it finish third in 2019, second in 2020 and fourth in 2021, when he was the captain.
