Dmitri Voronkov is officially a Blue Jacket.
The talented Russian center joined the Blue Jackets on Thursday by agreeing to a two-year, entry-level contract about a week after helping Ak Bars Kazan advance to the Kontinental Hockey League’s Gagarin Cup final.
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Voronkov, 22, will challenge for an NHL spot in September during his first Blue Jackets training camp and the 6-foot-3, 190-pound forward could make an immediate splash. The contract will pay Voronkov $832,500 at the NHL level and $70,000 at the AHL rate in both years.
“Dmitri is a big, strong forward who can play at center ice or on the wing and is coming off an outstanding season in the KHL,” Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said in a press release. “He is a skilled player that has shown an ability to score goals while playing a physical two-way game. We believe he has tremendous upside and are looking forward to his joining our group and continuing his development as a Blue Jacket.”
Here are three things to know about Voronkov:
Dmitri Voronkov is a plug-and-play forward for Columbus Blue Jackets
Just like other European and Russian players, it’ll probably take time for Voronkov to adjust to the NHL’s faster game played on smaller rinks. Once he’s used to the North American style, Voronkov could assert himself quickly as a valuable NHL forward with a tantalizing combination of size, strength, skill and snarl.
Whether he’s utilized as a hard-driving winger or center, his natural position, look for Voronkov to carve out a regular NHL role in Columbus.
Columbus Blue Jackets rookie Dmitri Voronkov is a power center
The Blue Jackets’ lack of depth at center has plagued them for a long time, but that could change soon.
Boone Jenner has proven he can handle a top-six center role and would instantly become one of the NHL’s best checking centers if placed on 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 top center option and have two youngsters — Cole Sillinger and Kent Johnson ― who could each center a top-six forward line at some point.
Sean Kuraly is one of the NHL’s most unheralded checking-oriented centers, Jack Roslovic has experience at center, Alexandre Texier could even step into the middle, if needed, and now they’ll have Voronkov.
Adding him to the mix is different than getting a rookie from the U.S. college ranks or Canadian major junior leagues. Voronkov has played in five KHL seasons for Ak Bars, worn the captain’s ‘C’ and centered the top line with impressive results.
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This season, Voronkov had 18 goals, 13 assists and 31 points in 54 games before adding 7-4-11 during a 23-game postseason run that ended in Game 7 of the Gagarin Cup championship. Voronkov, who’s played in five straight KHL playoffs, has won 52% of 768 draws he’s taken for Ak Bars over the past five years.
He’s also a penalty-killing forward who isn’t afraid to block shots.
![Columbus Blue Jackets center Matt Duchene (95) celebrates scoring the game-winner with left wing Nick Foligno (71) during the second overtime of Game 2 of the NHL Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden in Boston on Saturday, April 27, 2019. [Adam Cairns/Dispatch]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/7Beum9yZGJuS6UV2gLGpDg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0Mg--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/the-columbus-dispatch/ba93ab8d6527694757946cfea5add9fc)
Dmitri Voronkov can further justify Columbus Blue Jackets’ trades
Kekalainen went into the 2019 NHL draft with just two picks after stocking up at the trade deadline.
Rather than acquiring prospects and/or picks for Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, who’d made it clear they were leaving as free agents, Kekalainen acquired center Matt Duchene and forward Ryan Dzingel from the Ottawa Senators before adding defenseman Adam McQuaid from the New York Rangers and depth goalie Keith Kinkaid from the New Jersey Devils.
He went into the draft with only a third-round pick (No. 81 overall) and a seventh-round pick (No. 212) and made just one trade with the Florida Panthers to increase that number. The third-round pick was spun off for two fourth-round picks the Panthers had acquired from the Minnesota Wild (No. 104) and rival Pittsburgh Penguins (No. 114).
Voronkov was selected with the pick that originally belonged to the Penguins, which could make that season even sweeter for Blue Jackets fans, who already savor the historic first-round sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning that year.
bhedger@dispatch.com
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Three things to know about Blue Jackets rookie Dmitri Voronkov
