GM Don Waddel and the Columbus Blue Jackets [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets] have re-signed left winger Dmitri Voronkov [https://x.com/BlueJacketsNHL/status/1941565278284022054] to a two-year extension worth $4.175 million on Saturday. "We are very pleased to reach this agreement with Dmitri as he is an important part of our young core," Waddell said in a statement [https://x.com/JacketsInsider/status/1941566981703893422]. "He has size, strength and excellent hands and has a chance to be a very special player. We look forward to his continued growth and development as a Blue Jacket," the Columbus GM added. This short-term contract is Voronkov’s first deal after his two-year entry-level contract. The 24-year-old was a pending RFA and was eligible to file for arbitration. Voronkov’s new contract will expire after the 2026-27 campaign, when he will become an RFA again. Which Eastern Conference teams have improved the most this off-season? The 6-foot-5 Russian was introduced to the NHL for the 2023-24 season, where he seemingly came out of nowhere. He scored 18 goals and 34 points in 75 appearances during his rookie season, finishing eighth in rookie scoring and 11th in Calder Trophy voting. Voronkov has shown signs of progression and growth in this past season as he improved his offensive numbers. He scored 23 goals and 47 points in 73 games for the Blue Jackets last year. With that, he recorded a plus-17 plus-minus rating and averaged 16:47 of ice time, over three minutes per game more than his rookie year. In addition, the left winger proved to be more than a power forward as he led the Jackets in power-play goals last season with eight to his name. Dmitri Voronkov (Aaron Doster-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/ae19d41d-4226-4474-a018-af003f6282ce.jpeg] Dmitri Voronkov (Aaron Doster-Imagn Images) With this two-year contract, the Blue Jackets lock up another player who was picked in the later rounds of the draft. Voronkov was the 114th pick in the fourth round of the 2019 draft. He only sits behind Matias Maccelli in points from the fourth round of that draft. He joins Kirill Marchenko, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Boone Jenner and several others who have been selected by the Blue Jackets outside of the first round, and have made a difference for their team. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
