On today’s episode of Canucks Conversation, David Quadrelli and Patrick Johnston welcomed OilersNation’s Baggedmilk to preview the upcoming Vancouver Canucks-Edmonton Oilers matchup at Rogers Arena.

The conversation began with updates on Vincent Desharnais and Vasily Podkolzin, two players who swapped teams during the offseason.

“Vinnie is starting to look better; he was really solid on the penalty kill against L.A. yesterday,” Quads noted. “He’s finding his footing playing alongside Erik Brännström, and he was at his best when he played with Brett Kulak. How much more do you think he has to give?”

“With Vinnie, it’s all about comfort,” Baggedmilk responded. “It took him a while to get comfortable in Edmonton, but once he did, he was fine. You’ll see some mistakes — he can handle the puck like it’s a live grenade sometimes. But he’s strong on shot suppression and will be a valuable penalty killer as he settles in. Physically, he’s a force. We saw what happened to Brock Boeser; when Vinnie gets the chance, he’ll handle it. When he’s angry, he’s violent. There’s a lot to like about a guy that big who plays that physical game. At his worst, he’s an adventure. Some days it’s fun, and other days it’s a mess — that’s what you’re getting early on, but he’ll be fine.”

As for Podkolzin, the 23-year-old former 10th overall pick seems to have found a place with the Oilers.

“He’s quickly becoming a fan favourite,” Baggedmilk said. “We’ve nicknamed him ‘Podzilla’ here at OilersNation. The guy is relentless on the forecheck, with a real knack for closing in on defenders, freeing up the puck, and finding his linemates. In two of the Oilers’ wins last week, goals came directly from Podkolzin’s forecheck. He only has three assists through 14 games and no goals yet, but he’s giving the Oilers effective minutes. Then, he gets into a fight with Jeremy Lauzon and drops him with a right hook. There’s something special there; there’s a lot to like about this player.”

The conversation then shifted to Oilers’ defenceman Evan Bouchard, who, after a standout season that put him in Norris Trophy discussions alongside Quinn Hughes, has been off to a rough start this year with a contract extension looming.

“It’s wild — it’s a new season, but the same story,” Baggedmilk remarked. “Last year, Bouchard was making these same mistakes early on. Right now, he’s struggling with confidence, especially with the puck on his stick. He’s not as mobile as Quinn Hughes; he’s not going to put you in a blender with his skating, but he can score with the puck. Currently, though, he’s on pace to have more shots blocked than any defenceman in NHL history, by a margin of 50 or 60 shots. That’s crushing his confidence, and when that happens, Bouchard tends to just watch instead of engage. But once his confidence returns — probably when the power play picks up — he’ll start getting points, feel better, and his overall game will improve. Right now, though, he’s really fighting it. If I’m a Canucks fan, I’m hoping they put the puck in his corner as much as possible tomorrow, because he’s struggling with even the basics.”

As for tomorrow night’s matchup, Baggedmilk believes Edmonton needs to focus on fundamentals and embrace a more chaotic, gritty style of play.

“I want to see them keep it simple,” he said. “The Oilers’ power play has been historically good for years, but that edge is missing right now. They’re getting too cute with it — there’s no simplification. A perfect example is Quinn Hughes’ goal last night; he just threw the puck towards the net, it made its way through, and it was in. The Oilers aren’t making those plays right now where they just get pucks on net and create chaos; they’re relying too much on their skill players. If they simplify and play a greasier style of hockey, they’ll score more goals, and that confidence will improve everything else. But if they keep trying for highlight-reel passes, the Canucks will take advantage, intercepting those passes. Goaltending has been shaky too, with Stuart Skinner being boom-or-bust at times.”

You can watch the full segment below.