When Zach Werenski was drafted eighth overall in 2015 by Columbus, there were a lot of hopes placed on the back of the strapping 6-foot-2 defenseman. The blue line had been a publicly noted area of need for the club, both on NHL ice and in the development pipeline, and eyes turned to the young Michigander to see if he could be the real deal. Luckily for Jackets fans, the 19 (!) year old seems to be passing the tests presented to him with flying colors to show that he has a good shot at being a difference maker for the Blue Jackets.
Werenski came up through the USA Hockey training program before selecting the college route to continue his education – on ice and off. In his sophomore year, the offensively minded blueliner was a point per game player while with the Wolverines and, once that season was done, he made the decision to turn pro.
In a bit of creativity that shouldn’t go unnoticed, the Jackets added their valued prospect to the (then) Lake Erie Monster roster via an amateur tryout contract directly with the AHL club at the same time that they signed him to his ELC with Columbus – that would begin with the 2016-17 season. This strategy gave Werenski the playing experience without burning a year of eligibility and offering as much protection as possible during a time when the expansion draft guidelines were not yet official.
But back to hockey.
In seven regular season games with the Monsters, Werenski earned one goal and no assists, but those seven games were apparently all he needed to ramp up for a cornerstone performance in the AHL playoffs.
In the first 11 post-season games, Werenski quickly became a point per game player and drew raves from his captain and coach. Werenski responded to the style of play and pressure in the AHL playoffs and demonstrated his offensive mindset while also confirming his ability to think the game and make smart passes.
Werenski would finish the post season third in team and seventh in the league in terms of scoring (5-9-14) and put up a solid .82 points per game in 17 contests. His playoff point total was also good enough for second overall in the league for defensemen in the playoffs and fourth overall among league rookies (first among rookie defensemen).
Now the next step awaits and the question is if he can take the next step in his play as quickly as he did in the AHL. Werenski was slowed by a minor groin injurty sustained at the Traverse City tournament, but he has returned to the ice for one game thus far. These pre-season games are more a time for evaluation, but Jackets head coach John Tortorella is already eyeing Werenski as a pivotal (pun intended) part of special teams play. In his first match up against an admittedly weaker Nashville line up, Werenski posted the second highest CF% (even strength) at 71.15%.
Future Outlook
After you let it sink in that Werenski is just 19 years old, you focus on the fact that his name is one of the most frequently mentioned in the conversation of which players will make the leap from the AHL to the NHL this coming year. As a left handed defenseman, who he pairs with will be an interesting exploration in the line up, but it seems reasonable to expect to see Zach’s name on the Jackets’ roster come opening night. He will likely start on the third pair, and see significant time with special teams. Given his age, watch for that to be just the beginning of this player’s climb up the depth chart.
Age: 19
Position: Defense
Shoots: Left
Height / Weight: 6’2″ / 209 lbs
2015 / 16 Team: University of Michigan (NCAA) / Lake Erie Monsters (AHL)
Likely 2016/17 Destination: Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL)
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