The Blue Jackets were able to bring Yegor Chinakhov to North America, but they've swung and missed with another Russian prospect.
Per a report from sport.ru, the Blue Jackets attempted to buy out Dmitri Voronkov's contract with Ak Bars in an effort to get him to Cleveland (or Columbus) so that he could start his career within the organization. However, Ak Bars declined the offer, saying that they needed Voronkov.
Per the article, which has been translated from Russian, Voronkov will remain with Ak Bars for "at least" two more seasons. Voronkov, 20, was the Blue Jackets' fourth-round pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. He tallied 7-12-19 in 53 regular-season games this past year, then really turned it on in the KHL playoffs, notching 6-4-10 in 15 games as Ak Bars fell to Chinakhov's Avangard Omsk in a seven-game semifinal duel.
Because Voronkov was drafted from Russia, the Blue Jackets hold indefinite signing rights. They don't have to sign him at any point, but they clearly want to begin his development in North America sooner rather than later.
