It was a fairly innocuous play until it wasn't.
Zach Werenski dropped back into the Blue Jackets ' zone late in the first period on Nov. 10, 2022 at Nationwide Arena and had Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny lined up for a shoulder-to-shoulder hit along the boards. Konecny spotted him, ducked under the hit and Werenski crashed hard into the boards.
His right elbow caught the top of the dasher board, dislocating his shoulder while tearing the labrum, and just like that Werenski's season was over after 13 games. It was his 16thhealth-related issue since joining the Blue Jackets in 2016-17 , fourth involving a shoulder , and was easily the worst. Werenski missed 69 games , had more rehab last summer and entered this season playing catch-up after a long time away.
Despite sticking around as much as he could last year, Werenski was jolted by the reality of how fleeting an NHL career can become. It's one reason he's enjoyed this season, despite the Blue Jackets' 26-41-12 record. It was also a factor in Werenski being chosen by the Columbus chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association as a candidate for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy ― awarded annually to the NHL player who, "best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to the game."
Werenski displays all three on a regular basis.
"It's been a lot of fun, just being back with the guys and going through the grind again," he said. "In terms of wins and losses, it's not where we want to be, as a group, but for me, after missing last season and not being around the guys as much, it kind of puts things in perspective about how fortunate we are."
Werenski has added 12 games to his career injury list this season with a thigh contusion in October and high-ankle sprain in December. He has also thrived in his role as the Jackets' top defenseman , racking up a career-highs in assists (44) and points (53) while fine-tuning his shooting prowess as the season progressed.
Going into the final three games, Werenski is the Jackets' second-leading scorer behind only Johnny Gaudreau , including nine goals, and he's tied with James Wisniewski for the franchise record in assists by a defenseman in one season. Now he's chasing former defensive partner, Seth Jones , for the most points in one season (57) by a Blue Jackets blueliner.
"He's a horse," defenseman Erik Gudbranson said. "He's one of those players who's able to dictate how the game goes, how the pace of play goes, and there are not many people you can say that about in the National Hockey League. He's one of them. We're struggling this year, but his presence is very noticeable."
Werenski's absence was equally apparent last season.
While the Blue Jackets missed his two-way skills, Werenski's steadying calmness as a "lead by example" alternate captain was tough to replace. He isn't the type to get into a teammate's face or give inspirational speeches, but Werenski does provide key leadership on a team that's one of the NHL's youngest by average age. He's grown from one of those young hopefuls into a seasoned veteran and corner piece to the puzzle the Blue Jackets are trying to construct.
If every NHL rebuild effort needs at least one elite defenseman as a steady anchor, Werenski is that guy for the Jackets. He's been one of the NHL's most productive defensemen since entering the league in 2016 and would likely be a top-five producer without missing so many games.
Werenski's 483 games before playing the Florida Panthers on Thursday rank 77th among all NHL defensemen during the span of his career, but he's also tied for seventh in goals (88), 25th in assists (210) and ranks 20th in points (298) in that stretch. His 127 blocked shots this season have also set a career-high by a whopping 32 with four games left, which shows dedication with his injury history.
Werenski also plans to extend his season by playing for the U.S. next month at the men's world championships in Czechia. After that, he'll roll into a normal offseason routine before returning for training camp in September.
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"He's the backbone of our (defense), a guy who plays in all situations, and a guy that we rely upon," center Cole Sillinger said. "He's an extremely hard worker and isn't afraid to hold guys accountable and address some of the issues when things are slipping. To me, that's a good leader, and it's just nice to have his presence all year this year."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski nominated for Masterton Trophy
