Despite our best efforts at pointing out the fact that the Blue Jackets need to add a proven scorer; we may have to admit we're wrong at some point. In an interview with THW's Mark Scheig today, Don Waddell reaffirms something most of us are overlooking: what happens if both Dmitri Voronkov and Kent Johnson bounce back?
The answer is pretty obvious. The Blue Jackets would be a better team, and may have the solution to both of their top-two line holes filled internally. As it stands, both have been the subject of countless trade rumors already-which certainly contributed to our own bold offseason predictions. Suffice to say, I would hate to see the team get spurned by seeing another young player flourish elsewhere.
Trading Kent Johnson feels like a mistake waiting to happen.
The reason the Blue Jackets missed the playoffs this season: their offense went missing. Just when it looked like they were going to kick down the door and waltz into the postseason with a divisional spot, everything dried up.
A big part of that was the lack of play driving on the second line. That falls squarely onto the shoulders of Kent Johnson. That should be his role.
In 2024-25, he scored 24 goals and 57 points in just 68 games played. It was his emergence, perhaps more than any other player on the team, that gave us confidence that the Blue Jackets were going to have a big year.
Instead, Kent never really got going in 2025-26. He struggled mightily with and without the puck, showing a lack of confidence and never really looking like himself, aside from a short-lived bump after the team hired Rick Bowness.
He finished the campaign with a very disappointing 7-15-22 stat line in 76 games played. In the team's exit interviews, we were given a glimpse into part of the reason: he lost more than 10 pounds before the start of the season.
For Kent Johnson to rediscover his game, it could be as simple as regaining that lost muscle mass. I don't think it's as if he has forgotten how to score. One thing that I'm certain of: nobody knows the key to unlocking his potential better than the Blue Jackets. I expect them to act accordingly, based on whatever that knowledge is.
His trade value would probably be pretty low, so I think the best fix is Kent getting his own game back on track with the Union Blue.
Dmitri Voronkov just needs to be consistent.
The other player Waddell was asked about is Dmitri Voronkov. Depending on how you look at it, this situation is either far less complicated-or far more complicated.
Big Boss became a bit of an easy button for former head coach Dean Evason. You can plug him into any line-including the top line-and he is going to do his thing.
That thing is playing in straight lines, taking up a lot of space, and banging in greasy goals. The problem is, he has not found any meaningful ways to impact the game aside from banging in the odd rebound chance. He's relatively productive, but it still feels like there is room for the big man to grow.
When on the top line, he has a tendency to defer far too often; preferring to send a pass Kirill Marchenko's way, often taking away his own scoring chance. Really, the solution here feels like Big Boss just needs to come to camp in better shape, and with a little more snarl to his game.
If both of these guys can get back on track, the Blue Jackets are going to be in terrific shape next season-without needing to make any earth shattering moves this summer.
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