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Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski is chasing victories (and greatness)
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- Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski is chasing victories (and greatness)
The Blue Jackets hit the halfway mark of their 2024-25 season this week, and among the notable storylines is this one: Zach Werenski is playing like a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Too strong? Read on.
There are other items that deserve attention. The team is hovering around .500 and hanging in the race for a wild card . Did you see that coming? Right wing Kirill Marchenko is on pace to be the team's first point-per-game wing since Artemi Panarin . Center Sean Monahan 's toolbox contains an array of precision instruments. Kent Johnson is flecked with stardust. And so forth.
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The Jackets are fun to watch, in part because they seem to enjoy playing together. And they score. Coach Dean Evason has the proverbial buy-in. President/general manager Don Waddell still has some corners of the roster left to shampoo, but he has a competitive team – and, with gobs of cap space and a stockpile of assets, he will soon have the chance to accelerate the rebuild. The next six months, from the trade deadline (March 7) to the draft (June 27-28) through the beginning of free-agent season (July 1), will provide material for the next chapter of franchise history.
Werenski is in the process of becoming one of the most important players in the history of the franchise to date. He may be more important than Rick Nash before he's done.
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (8) shoots past Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) during the first period of the NHL hockey game at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024.
Too strong? Read on.
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If you've watched Werenski since his rookie season, you've long admired his offensive talent and his subtle skills as a defenseman. You've cringed when he got hurt, and there has been too much of that. You've applauded him for signing long-term and sticking his skate in the revolving door of free-agent exodus. What you are seeing this season his latest evolution, and it is remarkable.
"He doesn't walk through the room and (be) like, 'I'm Zach Werenski.' " Evason said. "It's, 'I'm one of the guys, just trying to help, just trying to teach, just trying to lead.' Our group is following in that.
"Coaches can talk all they want about leadership and team first and all that kind of stuff. But when you have people like him and (Monahan) up front, too, it's such a better teaching tool for your team than coaches barking at them all the time."
Perhaps something was sparked in Werenski by the absence of captain Boone Jenner (shoulder surgery), who was injured on the eve of the season. At age 27, and soon to be married, he has amplified his presence. He's still the same fast-moving cloud on the ice – only he's moving as well, or better, than he ever has. He is more engaged physically and there are times when he's out-and-out chippy. He's sick of losing. That much is clear.
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Whatever is going on, Werenski is now one of the best defensemen on the planet. Full stop. Heading into Game 41 at Pittsburgh Tuesday night, he has 12 goals and 45 points. Among backliners this season, his numbers rank at the top with Colorado 's Cale Makar (13 goals, 49 points) and Vancouver 's Quinn Hughes (eight goals, 34 assists in 34 games, before he got hurt).
Makar is often called the best defenseman of his generation. Hughes, in his second season, has already been anointed a superstar. Werenski is in this conversation.
Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski leads Columbus with 50 points this season.
Chew on this: Werenski (245 assists in 526 games through the weekend) will soon pass Nash (258 assists in 674 games with the Jackets) and become the franchise's all-time leader in assists. Only four defensemen have ended their careers as the assist leaders for a franchise: Brian Leetch of the New York Rangers , Raymond Bourque of the Boston Bruins and Al MacInnis of the Calgary Flames .
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Leetch, Bourque and MacInnis were first-ballot Hall-of-Famers. Roman Josi , still active, is the Nashville Predators ' all-time assist leader and a future Hall of Famer, first-ballot or otherwise.
"I know I'm not articulate enough to explain how great a player and a person he is," Evason said. "He's so good offensively, but he's also fantastic defensively. He's a pro that goes about his business that we all look to. Not just the players – we're all watching how he conducts himself in different situations, pressure situations. He just goes about his business. He has been everything for us this season, no question about that."
We can't predict how long Werenski will remain atop the Blue Jackets' career assists leaderboard. There are some youngsters on board, in the pipeline and not yet drafted who will have something to say about that. He has never won a Norris Trophy, nor has he made it deep into the playoffs. Etc. But, damn, he's in some heady company right now, it looks like his new normal as he continues his quest to win for Columbus.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Zach Werenski among NHL's best defensemen
