Columbus Blue Jackets sign Dmitri Voronkov: 3 things to know

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.

More: 5 offseason moves that could give the Columbus Blue Jackets’ reset plan a boost

More: Can Adam Boqvist become the Blue Jackets’ answer as Zach Werenski’s defensive partner?

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 him 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 the 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.

Story continues

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 US 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.

More: 5 questions about the NHL draft lottery and how it affects the Columbus Blue Jackets

More: 10 names to consider for the Columbus Blue Jackets’ coaching vacancy

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.

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 savored the historic first-round sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning that year.

[email protected]

@BrianHedger

Get more Columbus Blue Jackets talk on the Cannon Fodder podcast

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Three things to know about Blue Jackets rookie Dmitri Voronkov