We didn't know quite what to expect from Dmitri Voronkov last season. The good news is, whatever your expectations were, I felt like he exceeded them in some way. He's primed for a big sophomore season in Columbus.
He made the jump to North America with all of us hoping he could step into a center role for the Blue Jackets and be an effective player. Unfortunately, his North American career started with a conditioning stint in the American Hockey League.
Once he made the jump to the NHL however, he never looked back. One of his first shifts in the NHL saw him earn a boarding minor - and his first fighting major. We expected him to bring some physicality and toughness, but it was surprising that it happened so early on.
Fortunately, it wasn't all fists of fury from the big Russian. Voronkov often wowed me with his hockey sense on both sides of the puck.
In the offensive zone, he was effective in front of the net and along the boards, as you would expect a 6'5", 240 pound player to be. But it was his ability to play above the puck that caught me off guard. Often, he was in perfect position to generate a turnover in the neutral zone or high in the offensive zone, and create a counter chance the other way.
Dmitri was even pretty steady in the defensive zone, aside from a few obvious lapses. For all of these reasons, I think he's an obvious fit down the middle for the Blue Jackets, in both the short-term and long-term. This season, I would expect him to play on the second or third line, and possibly see some special teams ice as well.
If you've followed social media this summer, you might have seen clips of him working out. He looks to be in tip-top shape, which is something we couldn't necessarily say about him last season. Getting off to a strong start in training camp, could make a huge difference in his early season play.
One bold prediction: Dmitri Voronkov will post a stat line exceeding 20 goals, 50 points, and 80 penalty minutes this season.
This prediction isn't really all that bold, considering he scored 18 goals, 34 points, and 52 penalty minutes last season. At 24 years old, he's not a young prospect that I foresee having a tough sophomore slump. I do think he'll take steps forward offensively, and it's vital that he brings a bit of snarl to this team's forward group (hence the penalty minutes).
Voronkov was already an impressive two-way player for the Jackets last season, so I cannot wait to see what the future holds for the big center.