Dmitri Voronkov’s Assertiveness Could Unlock More Offense for Columbus

Dmitri Voronkov’s value to Columbus may hinge on a simple adjustment: make defenders deal with his size before he moves the puck. The 26-year-old has shown he can score in the NHL, but the Blue Jackets need more assertiveness from him if he’s to become the imposing forward his frame suggests he can be.

Columbus has a long break that offers time to reset after a flat performance against the Utah Mammoth last Saturday. The team has plenty to address in practice, including its work on special teams, discipline and defending. Finding more offense should be part of that work, too. Voronkov is playing in the roster spot discussed in connection with Conor Garland, and his early production gives the coaching staff a reason to look closely at how he’s being used.

A scoring record with room to grow

Voronkov has played 213 NHL games and recorded 58 goals, 114 points, a plus-9 rating and 168 penalty minutes. Those numbers show a player who has contributed at this level, even if his offense hasn’t yet matched the expectations that followed him from Russia three years ago. He arrived with a reputation for physical play and a scoring touch that seemed to make him more than a specialist.

At 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, he has the build to create problems around the crease and along the boards. He also tends to stay in position despite the limits his size can place on foot speed. That combination gives Columbus a useful foundation: a large forward who can handle details without getting stranded away from the play. The next step is turning that foundation into pressure that opponents feel shift after shift.

Through his first two games of the season, Voronkov had one assist while averaging fewer than 12 minutes per game. That’s a small sample, and limited ice time makes it harder to draw firm conclusions about his role or production. Still, it leaves little room for him to influence a game offensively. The question for the coaching staff is how to help him make a stronger impression when he’s on the ice.

Matthew Knies offers a point of comparison in the source’s account: he’s described as a similar type of player, three years younger, who scored twice in his first game with Columbus and had four points through his first two. That start doesn’t set a fair production standard for Voronkov by itself. It does underline the immediate impact a big forward can have when his game translates quickly to the NHL.

Make size matter with the puck

Voronkov’s size is most valuable when it changes what defenders can do. He can protect the puck, lean into contact and work his way toward the net, forcing opponents to commit bodies and attention. But the source’s critique is that he often moves the puck on too quickly, sending it away before a teammate is ready to receive it. When that happens, his strength doesn’t create much lasting pressure.

There’s a meaningful difference between a safe pass and a useful one. A quick release can keep a possession alive, but if the intended teammate isn’t in position, the play can stall and Voronkov’s chance to drive the attack disappears. He doesn’t need to force a solo rush on every touch. He does need to make defenders respect the possibility that he’ll hold the puck, turn toward the middle or take it hard to the net.

That same directness can help away from the puck. On the forecheck, a strong first stride toward a loose puck and a committed battle along the boards can make a defenseman rush a decision. Voronkov’s build gives him tools for that work, but the impact depends on how decisively he uses them. Pressure that wins possession or disrupts a clean breakout can create offense even when it doesn’t lead to an immediate shot.

Columbus should be looking for that assertive version of Voronkov: one who uses his strength to extend possessions, attacks space near the net and makes opponents work to move the puck out. Physical play has to serve the shift. The point isn’t contact for its own sake; it’s using contact to recover the puck, hold position or open a scoring chance.

The early workload and one assist don’t establish where Voronkov’s season is headed. They do make this stretch of practice a useful opportunity to sharpen his role and build habits that suit his strengths. If he starts carrying the puck with more purpose and applying consistent pressure on the forecheck, Columbus could get a more complete contributor from a player who already has a credible NHL scoring record. The clearest measure will be whether defenders have to plan for his power every time he’s involved in a shift.