The Columbus Blue Jackets will be without one of their top defenders for the rest of the playoffs.
After taking a puck to the face in game 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the team announced on Twitter that Zach Werenski is out for the year.
Zach Werenski to miss the remainder of the season with a facial fracture: https://t.co/5VhWItmXt1 #CBJ pic.twitter.com/Pdgz8tuqR4
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) April 17, 2017
Considering that this will likely be one game, this move is for the best.
In the midst of an 0-3 hole to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the season is all but over. There’s no need for Werenski to think about touching the ice in tonight’s matchup.
It’s no secret how much Zach Werenski means to the Columbus Blue Jackets organization, even after just one season. His future is too important to be put back into a series where his team is in such a steep hole.
Unfortunately for the Blue Jackets, staying healthy might be the most important part of this next game. Despite the offseason being around the corner, an injury is always a setback.
A win in the series against the Penguins would be great, but ultimately a series loss is a series loss. The Columbus Blue Jackets will need their top players, like Zach Werenski, healthy to win these types of series in the future.
Werenski being out should give a nice opportunity to another defenseman who has yet to play in the playoffs. There’s a good chance that fellow rookie Markus Nutivaara will jump right into a significant role.
Zach Werenski finished the regular season with the most points scored by a Columbus Blue Jackets rookie with 47. Despite his one point in three games this postseason, he separated himself from most of the team by easily looking like one of their best players.
There are plenty of reasons to be excited about the future of Zach Werenski. For now, the Columbus Blue Jackets will have to battle on without him.