With the majority of high-end free agents off the board, the Columbus Blue Jackets are focusing on some internal matters they need to handle. They have a few restricted free agents (RFAs) to address, including Daemon Hunt and Mikael Pyythia, however, they’ve now taken care of the biggest issue, both literally and figuratively. Dmitri Voronkov has been signed to a new two-year contract extension, which will keep him as an RFA when it expires.
The Blue Jackets reportedly offered Voronkov to the New York Islanders as a piece of a Noah Dobson trade; however, the Islanders opted to accept the Montreal Canadiens’ offer instead. In the long run, although Dobson would’ve been a phenomenal acquisition for the Blue Jackets, it may have been a blessing in disguise, as we’ve yet to see what Voronkov’s ceiling will be.
Voronkov’s Career So Far
The hype around Voronkov, a fourth-round pick by the Blue Jackets in 2019, really started to take off during his final season in the Kontinental Hockey League. The 6-foot-5 center had a breakout season with Ak Bars Kazan during the 2022-23 season, finishing with 18 goals and 31 points in 54 games. The Blue Jackets had attempted to bring him to North America before that point, but it seems that he made the right decision for his development by staying in Russia.
Voronkov made the jump to the United States the following season and immediately became an impact player for the Blue Jackets. He spent four games with the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League before being recalled swiftly and never looking back. During his rookie season in the NHL, he finished with an impressive 18 goals and 34 points in 75 games.
This past season, Voronkov took another step forward. He spent quite a bit of time on the top line with Sean Monahan and Kirill Marchenko. In his sophomore season, he finished with career-highs in every offensive statistic. He scored 23 goals and totaled 47 points in 73 games. His line was dominant for the Blue Jackets, and they can attempt to run it back this coming season.
What Makes Voronkov Special?
There aren’t many players in the NHL like Voronkov. His combination of size and scoring ability makes him an attractive asset for any team around the league. Add in the reality that he’s only 24 years of age, with plenty of development still ahead of him, and he becomes one of the Blue Jackets’ most valuable players. He has 30-goal potential, and if he continues developing at the rate we’ve seen from him so far, that could happen as early as this season. Even though he can’t communicate with his teammates well, he knows what they want him to do, and where they want him to be.
Voronkov isn’t afraid to go into the dirty areas, but he also doesn’t panic with the puck on his stick like many of his size do. He’s comfortable performing at a high level, both offensively and with physicality. While his defensive metrics could use some work, his overall performance gained praise from everybody in the organization. Adam Fantilli told Blue Jackets insider Jeff Svoboda: “He’s extremely skilled for a guy his size. He plays that netfront position perfectly, and he’s complementing that first line really, really well. We just want him to keep doing what he’s doing. It’s great.”
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While fans were excited by the prospect of acquiring a high-end defenseman like Dobson, they should be just as excited by retaining a player like Voronkov. He’s a unique talent who will only get more entertaining to watch as he approaches his prime. Hanging onto him may be a move that the Blue Jackets look back on with pride in a decade’s time.
