With the #8 pick the Columbus Blue Jackets selected Zach Werenski from Michigan. After it seemed like non-stop talks, the price tag was apparently just too high for the Jackets to move up to grab either Noah Hanifin who went #5 to the Carolina Hurricanes or Ivan Provorov who went #7 to the Philadelphia Flyers as we had reports flowing in, seemingly at every pick, that GM Jarmo Kekalainen was on the phones with the team picking. None of it would come to fruition and the Jackets would stay and grab my choice, if the price was too high for Hanifin, in Zach Werenski.
Here’s what I had on Werenski from an earlier post:
This could be the last lottery draft choice for the Blue Jackets for a long time if their explosive finish to last season is any indication. They finished the season winning 15 of their last 17, 9 of those 15 wins came against playoff teams still fighting for seeding, outscoring opponents 70 goals to 43 in that stretch. So they can’t miss with this last golden opportunity.
That’s why Werenski should be a celebrated explosive addition to a struggling blue-line that is in need of a serious spark.
Luckily need and talent coincided for us to grab a great prospect at a hurting spot.
More from Union and Blue
- Blaming Columbus Blue Jacket Players for Babcock Fallout is Unfair
- The Mike Babcock Experiment in Columbus Has Failed
- Blue Jacket Prospects Win Traverse City Tournament: Who Stood Out?
- Mike Babcock Resigns as CBJ Head Coach: Reaction
- New Claims Bring Higher Level of Concern to Babcock Situation
I really like Werenski‘s aggressiveness, tenacity, and his IQ to make smart quick decisions to take advantage of guys out of position. He flashes great strength mainly in his sumo control in front of the net keeping opponents away from positioning for rebounds and picks. He has a big body, standing 6’2″ 214 lbs which he uses to keep his body in front of the puck and does a great job of tunneling the opposing rush and blocking lanes.
Imagine a Troy Polamalu on the ice. He’s definitely going to take some chances and while they may not always pan out, more likely than not his aggressiveness helps turn the tide on the position whether it stops a rush from the opposing team or keeps alive offensive control. He’s an exciting player that sometimes gets caught out of positioning a little but that is something he should gain more knowledge later, when to take the risk and when to play it safe.
Offensively his shot is powerfully accurate and has great quarterbacking skills on the PP which makes him extremely versatile for many pushes down the ice. He makes great tape to tape passes, mainly conservative but knows when to take a shot down the ice to take advantage when necessary.
Werenski is a fully complete player. He has a great want and love for the game, he sped up his schooling so he could enroll early in Michigan, which makes him extremely coachable on the things he needs to work on and even more encouraging… he’s still only 17!!
More from Blue Jackets News
- Blaming Columbus Blue Jacket Players for Babcock Fallout is Unfair
- The Mike Babcock Experiment in Columbus Has Failed
- Blue Jacket Prospects Win Traverse City Tournament: Who Stood Out?
- Mike Babcock Resigns as CBJ Head Coach: Reaction
- New Claims Bring Higher Level of Concern to Babcock Situation
Werenski is accomplished for his short time in the NCAA gaining All-Big Ten First Team and Big Ten All Freshman Team honors. In his only year, he led the team with 59 block shots, showing a willingness to take one for the team. He comes with great experience in International Play hanging with the top lines the world has to offer finishing with a goal, an assist and a Plus 3 in the 5 games he played for Team USA.
I think overall Werenski is an exciting prospect with a huge ceiling and a low floor. He fits perfectly in the future top 2 defencemen with Ryan Murray to anchor this blue-line to accompany the mass arsenal of talent the Blue Jackets have offensively. If Werenski and Murray can hone it in together the Jackets could be a force to reckon with for quite some time.
Elite Prospects notes Werenski is “A smooth-skating, puck-moving defenceman that has a strong understanding of the game. Excels in key situations and is able to execute under pressure. Possesses good vision and awareness on the ice; uses his abilities to put offensive and defensive pressure on the opposition. All-in-all, a very strong all-around defenceman that consistently brings his game every night. (Curtis Joe, EP 2014)