Columbus Blue Jackets 2023-2024 Season Preview: Ivan Provorov

Ivan Provorov was acquired by the Jackets this summer, after having spent his entire career with the Philadelphia Flyers thus far. Jarmo Kekelainen brought in the rugged defensemen to help improve the defense. How much better will the CBJ defense be with Provorov?

D Ivan Provorov

6’1”, 201 lbs

2022-2023 stats: 82 GP, 6 G, 21 A, 27 PTS, -17, 24 PIMs

Acquired: Trade with Philadelphia, June 2023

(Originally drafted 1st round, #7 overall, 2015 NHL Draft)

Contract: $4.725m AAV through 2024-2025

Role: Top four defenseman

Ivan Provorov is a veteran of seven NHL seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers. Drafted one spot ahead of Zach Werenski in 2015, the defensemen proved himself to be a solid two-way player early in his career. He is a sturdy defenseman who is difficult to play against and can chip in offensively. Unfortunately, his numbers have declined over the past few seasons. Part of that could be that he played on a bad team in Philadelphia. Another part of that could be that his confidence is shaken. Either way, a change of scenery will be good for Provorov. It will allow him to reset and get his career back on an upward trajectory.

Provorov is penciled in to be on the second defensive pairing for the 2023-2024 season. That should be an ideal position for him. It won’t put the pressure of being on the top pairing but should give him ample playing time against good competition. Provorov will be a mainstay in the lineup, as he has proven himself to be a good defenseman. He will need to gain the trust of new coach Mike Babcock. But I suspect that it won’t take long for the coach to fall in love with one of his better defensemen.

One bold prediction: Provorov will score 35 or more points this season. Provorov has shown that he can chip in offensively. He has had point totals as high as 41, 36, and 31 in various seasons. Now that there is less pressure on him to be a #1 defenseman and that he will likely get some second team power play time, I think it is reasonable to expect Provorov to have one of his better seasons offensively.

Three keys to success:

1. Be physical: The Blue Jackets defense was horrendous last year. The CBJ severely lacked a defenseman who could be relied upon in any situation, but especially in front of the net and along the boards.  In the past, Provorov has shown that he can be a work horse. He can be move bodies from in front of the net and be physical. He will need to utilize those traits to find success this season.
2. Don’t be afraid to jump in the play. Provorov has a good offensive IQ. He knows when and when not to jump up in the play. If he has confidence in his defensive partner, then there is no reason why he shouldn’t be afraid to jump up in the play from time to time. That will help the forwards out and should help boost his confidence.
3. Play confident. One of the many reasons that Philadelphia traded Provorov is because his game started to struggle. When he broke into the league in 2016, he had confidence and looked like a budding star on defense. Since then, his confidence has diminished. He needs to regain that confidence and play with an edge. That should allow him to play more freely and make more plays that are beneficial for the CBJ.

The addition of Ivan Provorov should help the CBJ. He is a top defenseman who has proven to stay healthy in his career (he has played all 82 games in a season in 4 of the 7 seasons of his career). That is important for the CBJ, especially after the injury-riddled 2022-2023 season. He will be relied upon heavily for good defensive play and some offense. The hope is that he regains his confidence and form from the earlier seasons of his career. If he does, expect the defense to be more than improved but exponentially improved.