One of the better surprises for the Blue Jackets this season, big Russian forward Dmitri Voronkov established a strong two-way game and became a mainstay on their top line. It came at a perfect time for him, as he's a restricted free agent (RFA) in need of a new contract this summer.
Drafted by the Blue Jackets in the fourth round (#114 overall) at the 2019 NHL Draft, Voronkov is a prospect that had our attention despite being picked later in the draft. At 6'5" and 240 pounds, he quickly became one of the biggest "ifs" in the team's diminished prospect pool.
Dmitri spent four post-draft seasons in the KHL, playing in a mostly secondary role and putting up decent numbers. In those four years, he accrued 37 goals and 74 points in 179 games for Ak Bars Kazan. He also spent some time playing for Russia internationally at the World Juniors, World Championships, and even the 2022 Olympics.
He finally came over to North America last season, and his impact was felt right away. Despite not making the team out of training camp, he was called up shortly after the start of the regular season, and he never looked back. His first shift in the NHL saw him land a big check on Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj, with the two dropping the gloves shortly after.
Dmitri played in 75 games as a rookie, scoring 18 goals and 34 points. Being honest, I thought this would be roughly his offensive peak at the NHL level. I saw him as a secondary scorer who would play somewhere on the third line; bringing physicality and toughness along with some underrated skill. This year, he proved my theory completely wrong.
After being injured in the preseason this year, Voronkov didn't make his debut until November 1st. He had a slow start upon returning to the lineup, picking up just 1 assist and carrying a -6 rating through his first six games. But, promoted to the top line, he found his game on the left flank of Kirill Marchenko and Sean Monahan.
Over 67 games after November 15th, Dmitri scored 23 goals and 46 points while carrying a +23 rating. HIs final stat line for the year: 73gp, 23g-24a-47pts, 55 penalty minutes and a +17 rating. His deep stats look really good as well. He finished second on the team in overall goal differential (+37) behind only Marchenko; and his CORSI rating (56%) was at a very high level, per MoneyPuck.
Dmitri, Kirill and Sean formed a bit of an odd trio on the pieced together top line, but somehow it worked. I think it came down to having three guys who all think the game the same way. All three are big and willing to go into the corners. All of them are responsible defensively. And, all of them are selfless with and without the puck. This was just a case of three talented guys who went to work together.
Voronkov was smart in his role, keeping his game simple and often choosing to let plays die rather than trying to force things. Sure, there was the odd "young guy" mistake here and there, but overall I thought he looked like a seasoned pro this year. He earned a big payday.
Big Boss, big money?
Time will tell if all of this is sustainable, but Dmitri "Big Boss" Voronkov certainly passed both the eye and underlying metrics tests this year. As a 24 year old RFA, he will get a massive increase over his entry level contract this summer. The only question here is: How much and for how long?
The answer may lie in two other questions. Does Don Waddell see him as a long-term fit on the top line? Or, does he look to add a player and move Big Boss down to bolster his middle-six?
In my opinion, I think this is the kind of guy who can slide up and down your lineup and provide a spark wherever you need him to. While he's not a punishing physical player in a traditional sense, his size alone makes him a load to contain. Especially if he decides he wants to stand in front of the opponent's net. He's proven that, at the very least, he can get there and use his surprisingly soft hands to deflect shots or clean up garbage. That has big value on a team that can surround him with skill.
If it were up to me, I would be looking to get the big man signed for as long as possible. He's going to be a big part of this team's core for the next several years, whether that's on the first or second line. Literally, and figuratively.