There has been talk for a few years now that as soon as Dmitri Voronkov’s Kontinental Hockey League contract expires, he’ll be coming overseas to play in the NHL for the Columbus Blue Jackets. It has been a long time coming, but Artur Khairullin of the Russian publication Sport-Express confirmed that it will happen at the end of this season. As a result, the two highly anticipated Russian prospects that Blue Jackets fans have been waiting for will both be in North America next season. Kirill Marchenko has been having an exciting rookie season in the NHL after finally making the jump himself and now Voronkov will look to follow suit.
Voronkov’s Road to the NHL
While he has yet to sign a contract with the Blue Jackets, that wouldn’t happen until his KHL contract has officially expired, the news that he’s planning to make the jump is noteworthy on its own. It essentially confirms the move as much as is physically possible at the current time. He has spent his entire KHL career with Ak Bars Kazan and has also represented his country on multiple occasions as well, capped off most recently by winning an Olympic silver medal with Russia. He has yet to win a Gagarin Cup; however, his team appears to be heavily in contention to do so this season.
On an individual level, he’s put up impressive point totals considering his age but he hasn’t been a star either. He’s a serviceable middle-six forward who brings size into a lineup and will chip in offensively fairly regularly. So far, this season has been by far the best of his career as he’s hovering around half a point per game which is a major improvement over his career average of .38 points per game. In his most recent game on Thursday, Feb. 9, his ice time was cut but he was still able to provide a goal and an assist against Amur Khabarovsk.
Where Does Voronkov Fit in the Blue Jackets Lineup?
Typically Russian players don’t make the jump to North America to play in the American Hockey League. Marchenko did so earlier this season, but he’s undoubtedly ready to be an NHL regular and has proven so since he was recalled to Columbus. As a result, Voronkov should be expected to be on the Blue Jackets roster next season, even if it’s not necessarily by opening night. The center position as a whole is a question mark for the organization going forward.
If the Blue Jackets get a top-two selection in the upcoming NHL Draft, they’ll likely add a game-changing center with the obvious prize being Connor Bedard if they can get the first overall pick. From there, they have some young, skilled players already in the mix such as Kent Johnson and Cole Sillinger who will be long-term top-six options. Voronkov would fit in nicely on the third line for the future, and if the draft goes in their favor one of the other two could slide to the wing. This doesn’t leave much room for current captain Boone Jenner nor Columbus native Jack Roslovic down the middle though, so they’ll likely be forced to the wing or possibly off of the roster at some point in the future.
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Odds are that Voronkov won’t be a star in the NHL when he makes the jump, but he can certainly be a very solid role player for years to come. He’ll add some grit to an organization that has heavily committed to skill and speed with its recent moves, which can be invaluable on its own. Once it’s confirmed that he’ll join the Blue Jackets next season, assuming that will be the case, it’ll certainly be an exciting piece of news for Columbus fans.