He started the season with AHL Cleveland, but was recalled in December and never looked back, playing his way all the way up the lineup to the No. Marchenko set a Blue Jackets franchise record for goals by a rookie, scoring 21 in just 59 games this season. Petersburg to sign with the Blue Jackets. Last summer, Marchenko - a second-round pick (No. This marks the second summer in a row that the Blue Jackets have brought one of their drafted prospects from Russia to the NHL. He added 8-4-12 with 16 penalty minutes and a plus-6 rating in 24 playoff games. He led the club with five game-winning goals. In 54 regular-season games, he had 18-13-31 with 51 penalty minutes and a plus-13 rating. Voronkov became a standout player this season with Kazan Ak-Bars, which lost a deciding Game 7 on Sunday in the KHL’s championship, the Gagarin Cup. Those two are both widely considered to be NHL-ready and would immediately assume a spot among the Blue Jackets’ top-six forwards. 2 overall selections, respectively, at this summer’s draft. On Monday, the Blue Jackets will learn if they have a chance to land Connor Bedard or Adam Fantilli, the presumed No. Voronkov is the first step toward what could be a major transformation of the Blue Jackets’ depth chart at center. The Blue Jackets don’t expect this to be an issue. Barry, if Voronkov isn’t on the roster through the end of December, he has the right to return to Russia beginning Jan. The contract includes an “escape clause,” which is not unusual for players making the leap to the NHL from another professional league. “We believe he has tremendous upside and are looking forward to his joining our group and continuing his development as a Blue Jacket.” “He is a skilled player that has shown an ability to score goals while playing a physical two-way game. “Dmitri is a big, strong forward who can play at center ice or on the wing and is coming off an outstanding season in the KHL,” Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said in a statement. The Blue Jackets can use his talent at center ice, to be sure, but they also desperately need more size and combativeness. The Blue Jackets made Voronkov’s long-anticipated signing official on Thursday, signing the 22-year-old to a two-year, entry-level contract that will almost certainly make him part of the lineup next season. Voronkov is a good skater with solid skills, but his size (6-foot-4, 192 pounds) and his snarl stand out as his most noticeable traits. As Marchenko said that last phrase, he growled and flexed his muscles.
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