“Dmitri Voronkov Joins Columbus Blue Jackets: 3 Things to Know about the Rookie Forward”

Dmitri Voronkov is officially a Blue Jacket.

The talented Russian center joined the Blue Jackets on Thursday in an entry-level two-year deal about a week after helping Ak Bars Kazan advance to the Continental Hockey League Gagarin Cup final.

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Voronkov, 22, will fight for an NHL spot in his first Blue Jackets training camp and could make an immediate splash as a burly 6-foot-4 center. The contract will pay Voronkov $832,500 at the NHL level and $70,000 at the AHL rate both years.

“He plays a North American style of play,” Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said. “It will always be an adjustment, just like (Kirill) Marchenko has had an adjustment here, but he is very well prepared to come here. That’s why I would compare him more to (Vladislav) Gavrikov, who came in, stepped in and had an impact on our team right away.

Here are three things to know about Voronkov:

Dmitri Voronkov is a plug-and-play forward for the Columbus Blue Jackets

Much like other European and Russian players, it will likely take some time for Voronkov to adjust to the faster NHL play on smaller rinks. Once accustomed to the North American style, Voronkov could quickly establish himself as a valuable NHL forward with a tantalizing combination of size, strength, skill and grit.

“He scores a lot of goals that are supposedly ‘dirty’ or in the ‘dirty areas’ of the ice,” Kekalainen said. “He scores most of his goals within 10 feet of the net and he’s excellent around the net. . He flips pucks and gets rebounds. It fits very well with the North American style on the small ice rink.

Whether Voronkov is used as a winger or center, his natural position, expect him to carve out a regular NHL role in Columbus sooner rather than later.

Columbus Blue Jackets rookie Dmitri Voronkov is a powerful center

The Blue Jackets’ lack of depth in the center has long plagued them, but that could soon change.

Boone Jenner has proven he can handle a top-six center role and would become one of the best control centers in the NHL if placed in the middle of the third line. The Blue Jackets could also add an elite center with a top-four pick in this year’s draft, still have Patrik Laine hoping to convince them he’s a first center option and have two youngsters – Cole Sillinger and Kent Johnson – who could each center a front-line high-six at some point.

Sean Kuraly is one of the most underrated centers in the NHL, Jack Roslovic has experience at center, Alexandre Texier could even come in at center if needed, and now they’ll have Voronkov.

Adding him to the mix is ​​different than getting a rookie from the US college ranks or the Canadian major junior leagues. Voronkov played five seasons in the KHL for Ak Bars, centering the front line, and helped that team win the Gagarin Cup this season less than a victory. He also played for Russia at the Men’s World Championship and won a gold medal at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

“He’s been playing with men for a while now,” Kekalainen said. “He’s played in the men’s world championships, played in the Olympics, so he’s probably a bit more seasoned than most guys who come to North America. You don’t get your typical recruit.

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This season, Voronkov had 18 goals, 13 assists and 31 points in 54 games before going 7-4-11 in Ak Bars’ 24-game playoffs. Voronkov, who has appeared in five consecutive KHL playoffs, has won 52% of the 768 ties he has won for Ak Bars in 182 games.

He’s also a penalty killer who isn’t afraid to block shots.

Dmitry Voronkov can further justify Columbus Blue Jackets trades

Kekalainen went into the 2019 NHL Draft with just two picks after getting his fill at the trade deadline.

Rather than acquiring prospects and/or picks for Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, who had made it clear they were leaving as free agents, Kekalainen acquired center Matt Duchene and forward Ryan Dzingel from the Ottawa Senators. Ottawa before adding defenseman Adam McQuaid from the New York Senators. Rangers and New Jersey Devils depth guard Keith Kinkaid.

He entered the draft with only a third-round pick (#81 overall) and a seventh-round pick (#212) and made just one trade to the Florida Panthers to increase that. number. The third-round pick was replaced with two fourth-round picks the Panthers acquired from the Minnesota Wild (#104) and rival Pittsburgh Penguins (#114).

Voronkov was selected with the pick that originally belonged to the Penguins, which could make this season even sweeter for Blue Jackets fans, who are already relishing in the historic first-round sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning that year. .

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@BrianHedger

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