He seems like the player archetype that coaches dream about.
And, the new Vancouver Canucks regime has also shown a propensity to target big-bodied players who can skate.
Does that mean there’s a potential match between the Canucks and the Columbus Blue Jackets?
Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell has reportedly been trying to trade Dmitri Voronkov. So far, there have been no takers.
The Fourth Period’s Dave Pagnotta listed the Canucks as one of five teams interested in the 26-year-old. Take that with a grain of salt, although the Canucks could theoretically be looking for another young-ish player to help them on offence. Especially one where they could potentially rebuild his trade value in a bigger role.
And, with trade interest in the 6-foot-5, 230-pound winger being tepid, there could be a window for the Canucks to swoop in and make a move.
Does Dmitri Voronkov Make Sense for the Vancouver Canucks?
At one point, both Kirill Marchenko and Voronkov looked like the future in Columbus.
Marchenko clearly emerged as the higher ceiling player. But during Voronkov’s rookie season in 2023-24, he finished 11th in Calder Trophy voting after posting 18 goals and 34 points in 75 games.
His best season in the NHL came during 2024-25, when he had 23 goals and 47 points in 74 games. The most encouraging thing about his play was that he was one of the league leaders in getting shots from high-danger areas on the ice.
For a team like the Canucks that’s struggled to generate high-danger chances, that could be enticing.
Now, it’s been reported by Brian Hedger of The Columbus Dispatch that the Blue Jackets want picks or prospects in exchange for Voronkov. That’s something likely off the table for the Canucks.
However, recent comments from Canucks GM Ryan Johnson suggest that stockpiling draft picks isn’t the number one priority for the club.
“By no means is it a guarantee that, just because you finish low that you draft well, that it will eventually work itself out,” Johnson said on the West Coast Conversation Podcast.
“That’s naive thinking too and is something I’m being very cognizant about, not just stockpiling draft picks and hoping for the best, but finding players we want and fit to how we play.”
If Voronkov is a player that Johnson believes can fit in, perhaps he could take a swing at Voronkov. Still, you’d have to think that Vancouver would likely include a player like Victor Mancini and perhaps a late-round pick as opposed to making a strict futures-based trade.
The Vancouver and Columbus Trade Connection
One twist to a potential trade between the Canucks and Blue Jackets could surround some bitterness about the last deal between these clubs.
Before the 2026 NHL trade deadline, the Canucks dealt Conor Garland to the Blue Jackets for a 2028 second-round pick and a 2026 third-round selection. The third-round pick turned into goaltending prospect Dmitry Ivchenko.
Garland has been a massive disappointment for the Blue Jackets so far. He’s currently pointless in 12 games. Even Voronkov, who’s been a recent healthy scratch, has two assists in eight games this season.
Waddell surely wants a do-over on that trade, and that could motivate him to try to get a little extra away from the Canucks.
Regardless, it’s another potential wrench in making this deal happen.
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