Dmitri Voronkov Set to Debut for Blue Jackets Tonight in Montreal

The Columbus Blue Jackets are on the road for the second time this season, taking on the Canadiens tonight in Montreal. This game looks like it will mark the debut of much-anticipated prospect Dmitri Voronkov.

It’s been more than four years since the Blue Jackets drafted Voronkov in the fourth round (#114 overall), back at the 2019 NHL Draft. He made the jump to North America this summer, but was unable to make the club out of training camp. Part of this was due to conditioning, which seems to have been rectified since he was sent down to the Cleveland Monsters prior to the start of the season.

With the Monsters, Voronkov skated in 4 games, picking up 1 assist, 2 penalty minutes, and a -1 rating in that time. It looks like he’ll start his NHL career on the fourth line for the Blue Jackets, currently slated to play alongside Sean Kuraly and Mathieu Olivier. On paper, this should be one of the toughest lines in the league; as the 6’5″, 240 pound Voronkov brings a mix of toughness, energy, and skill; in short: more of what Kuraly and Olivier already supply to the lineup. I’m really interested to see this line in action.

Voronkov’s dressing appears to mean the second healthy scratch of the season for Kent Johnson. Head coach Pascal Vincent clearly saw something he didn’t like from Kent in the last game; playing him just five shifts in the third period – and none in overtime. At the beginning of the season, the coach talked about wanting Johnson to play at a higher pace; which seems counterintuitive for a guy whose game is built entirely around using his skill to slow the pace of the game and make passes. This is a storyline we’ll follow all season long.

The Jackets enter tonight’s game with a 3-2-1 record (7 points), sitting tied for second in the Metropolitan Division. Montreal has an identical record, but are currently 5th in the Atlantic. They’re without some key pieces, including center Kirby Dach (out for the season), and defenseman and former Jacket David Savard (4-6 weeks).

It should be a fun matchup to watch, between two young and exciting teams. The atmosphere at the Bell Centre is always fantastic, and games in Montreal are circled on my calendar every year. Look for the Jackets to come into this one with a chip on their shoulders; after losing a game they should have won on Tuesday. Puck drop is at 7:00 Eastern.