The Columbus Blue Jackets may be giving the Maple Leafs another chance to add size, muscle and some offensive pop.
According to Pierre LeBrun, Columbus is taking calls on Dmitri Voronkov, with the winger having been a healthy scratch multiple times. Nothing is set in stone, but the Blue Jackets are at least willing to hear what teams are prepared to put on the table:
Some teams calling with interest on winger Dmitri Voronkov. Not saying he will be traded for sure but CBJ listening.
Voronkov, 26, has two assists in six games this season, but his broader track record is what makes him interesting. Over his past three seasons, he has averaged 19 goals, 19 assists and 89 hits per year, the kind of blend of production and edge that tends to draw attention from teams looking for a more physical look up front.
At 6-foot-5 and more than 230 pounds, Voronkov fits the power-forward mold in a very obvious way. That’s the profile Toronto has been missing since moving Matthew Knies in its earlier trade with Columbus, a deal that also sent Steven Lorentz and Emil Andrae to the Blue Jackets for Kirill Marchenko, Elvis Merzlikins and Miles Wood.
Marchenko has been the real prize from that swap so far, giving the Maple Leafs the offensive jolt they needed alongside Auston Matthews. Merzlikins and Wood, meanwhile, haven’t had much impact on Toronto’s season to this point.
What the Leafs still do not have, though, is another true heavy presence in the lineup. Voronkov would give them exactly that: a big body for traffic around the net, a player who can chip in offensively, and someone who can bring some intimidation to the ice.
If Toronto wanted more physicality in the top six, Voronkov would make sense. He could also serve as support for Auston Matthews and John Tavares, while also protecting younger players such as Easton Cowan and Gavin McKenna.
There’s even a case for seeing how Voronkov and McKenna could work together, provided Toronto has a defensive anchor like Colton Sissons or Nick Paul in the mix. That setup, on paper, could do real damage.
Voronkov’s contract adds to the intrigue. He carries a $4.175 million cap hit and will be a restricted free agent after the season, which gives any acquiring team a chance to test the fit without a long-term commitment hanging over the move.
Toronto’s recent run of former Blue Jackets has started to look like a pipeline. Marchenko is already in the fold, and the Maple Leafs also have Nick Blankenburg and Jack Roslovic, two more ex-Columbus players. If Voronkov becomes the next one to land in Toronto, the Blue Jackets may end up supplying one more piece to a team that has already benefited from the connection.
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