Dmitri Voronkov’s Blue Jackets Role Raises Questions as Trade Interest Emerges

Columbus has a roster question that could become a trade decision: what role does Dmitri Voronkov have with the Blue Jackets? TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported on October 22, 2026, that teams have shown interest and Columbus is listening. LeBrun also cautioned that a trade isn’t certain. For now, the calls bring attention to a mismatch between Voronkov’s track record and his recent place in the lineup.

Voronkov has already been a healthy scratch twice this season, and practice lines reported by Dylan Tyrer suggested he could sit again that weekend. Those decisions don’t prove Columbus is preparing to move him. They do make it fair to ask whether the club sees a regular use for a winger whose value is tied to scoring around the net and contributing on the power play.

A productive record, a smaller role

Since arriving in North America for the 2023-24 season, Voronkov has played 217 games for Columbus. The source’s team totals place him third in goals with 58 and fourth in points with 115. He has 11 more points than Cole Sillinger and 15 more than Kent Johnson over that span, two players the article identifies as part of the club’s core.

Voronkov has also scored four more power-play goals than any other Blue Jacket since his arrival, according to the cited figures. He sits second on the team in penalty minutes with 172. That combination gives Columbus a large winger who can produce offense near the crease and bring a physical edge. It also comes with trade-offs: his foot speed is a concern, and his size and style can lead to penalties.

The numbers describe a player with a clear role to offer. They don’t settle how well he fits every matchup or what a rival team might pay. Still, if the Blue Jackets are short on secondary scoring, a winger with Voronkov’s goal and power-play production deserves a serious look in that role before the club decides his best path lies elsewhere.

Ice time shapes the question

The article says Voronkov had been a credible second-line winger until January of the previous season, with a scoring pace in the 40-to-50-point range when used effectively, particularly as a net-front option on the power play. After Rick Bowness took over as coach, his average ice time reportedly fell from 16 or 17 minutes a night to about 13. He has often been placed on the fourth line and, according to the source, hasn’t received power-play time on many nights.

That is a meaningful change in opportunity. A player asked to score from the crease needs shifts that put him near the net, linemates who can get him the puck, and time with the man advantage. With less ice time and fewer chances in that specialty role, it becomes harder to judge his offense on the same terms as a player getting more minutes and better scoring looks.

Here’s the thing: the concern about Voronkov’s pace is real, but it isn’t unique to him. The source compares his deployment with that of Columbus’s current second-line center, who it says has similar questions about foot speed, averages three to four more minutes per game and has only one more point this season. That comparison doesn’t establish that the two players have identical responsibilities. It does sharpen the question of how the staff weighs mobility against production when assigning minutes.

Columbus has a decision to make

Bowness’s preference for a more demanding structure may explain why Voronkov’s role has changed, but the source argues that the adjustment has pulled him away from the traits that made him effective. The practical test is whether Columbus can use him in situations that highlight his hands, size and presence around the goal while managing the pace concerns. If the coaching staff doesn’t see that fit, interest from other clubs gives the front office a choice to weigh.

There’s a familiar risk in moving on from a young scorer before his role is settled. The original article points to Egor Chinakhov as a comparison, linking to his NHL statistics. It offers no evidence that Voronkov would follow the same path, and a future return to form elsewhere isn’t guaranteed. The useful lesson is narrower: a player’s output can change with opportunity, so Columbus should be clear about what it expects from him and what it believes another team can offer.

LeBrun’s report is a signal of market interest, not confirmation of an agreement. Any potential return remains unknown, as does whether Columbus will decide that a trade serves its roster better than restoring Voronkov to a more prominent role. For now, the key measure is straightforward: can the Blue Jackets find a consistent place for a winger who has produced 58 goals and 115 points for them, or will another club get the chance to do it?