Provorov had a decent first season with the Blue Jackets. He was a mainstay on the second pair and played both shorthanded and on the power play. He finished second in scoring among defensemen (32 points) and improved the Blue Jackets’ transition game. However, there were moments when he had lapses in his defensive game and he struggled with consistency on defense.
Related. Provorov. Ivan Provorov player rating 2023-24. dark
On the plus side for Provorov, he played in all 82 games for the Blue Jackets. Given the number of injuries the team has experienced over the past two seasons, it was a relief to have one player play in all 82 games.
Expect Provorov to lead the Blue Jackets’ second pair this season. Ideally, he would be on the third pair. However, given the number of young players who could play defense, I expect Provorov to play higher up the lineup.
He will play in the second shorthanded unit and the second power play unit unless one of the young players (e.g. David Jiricek or Denton Mateychuk) takes that spot.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Provorov paired with one of the up-and-coming defensemen. His steady game could be an asset in the transition to NHL hockey. He will need to be a mentor and role model to the young players if this team wants to achieve improved defensive play.
Provorov is under contract through the 2024-2025 season for $4.725 million. He will be an unrestricted free agent next summer. I expect this season to be Provorov’s last season in Columbus.
The team has a lot of good young talent on defense and will look to bolster that position with new additions. He will be a prime candidate for a trade at the trade deadline this season. If by some miracle the Blue Jackets end up in a playoff race near the trade deadline, the CBJ could opt to keep him for the playoffs but would then let him go as a free agent.
A bold prediction: Ivan Provorov will finish this season with a positive plus/minus.
That may be a bit exaggerated, but possible. Provorov has improved his plus/minus from -17 to -11 over the past two seasons. With the structure that coach Dean Evason will put in place, I expect Provorov to be in more advantageous situations. He may not have to carry as much work and may have more scoring opportunities. I think that can improve on his -11 stat from last season and even push it into positive territory.
Provorov will likely be one of the workhorses of the CBJ defense this season, and his experience will be instrumental in developing a young and fragile defense into a stable team defense.
