Blue Jackets Big Forward Named Top NHL Trade Candidate

A Columbus Blue Jackets forward is continuing to create chatter as a prime NHL trade candidate.

NHL insider Chris Johnston gave Blue Jackets forward Dmitri Voronkov the third spot on his latest trade board for The Athletic. 

"There’s a wide gap between what Voronkov could be and what he actually is right now. The strapping forward is off to an extremely slow start in Columbus, getting scratched while falling out of favor amid questions about his level of commitment," Johnston wrote. "The tools are all there if he can put them together. But it may take a fresh start for him to take another step forward in his career."

When noting that questions about Voronkov's future in Columbus have come up often this season, it makes sense that he has been named a top-three NHL trade candidate by Johnston. He has been the subject of trade rumors for a while now, too, so it would not be too surprising if he ended up being moved this campaign. 

Voronkov is still looking to break the ice early on this season, as he has zero goals and just two assists in eight games this campaign. With this, if the Blue Jackets were to trade him now, they might be selling low on him. 

However, if Voronkov can heat back up and regain his past form, he could end up being a good trade chip for the Blue Jackets. Keep in mind, he had 23 goals and 47 points in 73 games for Columbus back in 2024-25.

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see what the Blue Jackets end up doing with Voronkov this season from here.