Columbus Blue Jackets 2023-2024 Season Preview: Zach Werenski

Zach Werenski has been one of the better Blue Jackets players since his arrival in the NHL in 2016. Unfortunately for him and the team, he missed almost all the 2022-2023 season with a shoulder injury. His loss was felt by the team in almost all situations. His presence will be a big boost to the team for the upcoming season. How much better will the Blue Jackets be with a healthy Zach Werenski in the lineup?

D Zach Werenski

6’2”, 212 lbs

2022-2023 stats: 13 GP, 3 G, 5 A, 8 PTS, -6, 0 PIMs

Acquired: Drafted 1st round, #8 overall, 2015 NHL Draft

Contract: $9.583m AAV through 2027-2028

Role: Top Pair Defenseman

The 2022-2023 season was miserable for the Blue Jackets and the 5th line. Many players were plagued by injury and the team spiraled to the bottom of standings quickly. Zach Werenski, who only played in 13 games, was one of the many players who missed almost the entire season. His presence was missed in all facets of the game. The power play didn’t have its QB on the back end; the penalty kill never had its top defender; and the defense didn’t have its leader. The Blue Jackets were not the same team without Werenski in the lineup.

Projecting the role for Zach Werenski in 2023-2024 is one of the easiest on the team. Werenski will be the #1 defenseman for the Columbus Blue Jackets. He will be consistently playing 20+ minutes a night, tasked with defending against the top line for the opposition. He’ll be the quarterback on the top power-play unit; and will also play on the top penalty kill unit. Expect Werenski to play a lot this season and be tasked with as much as he can handle. Finding him a defensive partner will be the biggest question. Some project newly acquired Damon Severson to be his partner. Some think that Werenski and Adam Boqvist had good chemistry and could be penciled in as partners. And even others think that, at some point in the season, rookie David Jiricek may join Werenski on the first defensive pairing. Regardless of who plays alongside Werenski, he is a good defenseman and will adapt his game to any defensive partner.

One bold prediction: Werenski will score more than 20 goals this season. The Blue Jackets have some good, offensive players on this team. With he missing some time last season, he never got to play a lot with those guys (Gaudreau, Marchenko, etc.). With his return, he should be on the ice more with these players and will have more opportunities to score. Plus, the CBJ power-play will now have its QB back to help run it. Those high end offensive players should help Werenski score a lot on the power play this season. All of this is assuming Werenski is healthy for the entire season.

Three keys to success:

1. Find a D partner. As mentioned earlier, one of the biggest questions marks is who will play with Werenski this season. There are a lot of good candidates and new coach Mike Babcock will have to determine who is the best fit. Whomever it is, Werenski will need to develop chemistry with that player. Hopefully that happens quickly so that the top defensive pairing is playing at the top of its game from the get-go.
2. Be the quarterback. In football, the quarterback is the general of the offense. He is the leader and drives the play. Werenski is very much the quarterback of the CBJ. He is the top defenseman and is a leader on the ice. The CBJ need him to be the leader of the defense to bring it back up to the high standard that is expected. They also need him to help run the power play, which sorely missed him last season. In almost all situations, the team really needs Werenski to be the quarterback; the one who will drive the play and bring his teammates into the fight.
3. Stay Healthy! Werenski missed a majority of last season with a shoulder injury. His loss was felt all season long. The CBJ need him to be healthy and be in the lineup. He is the engine that makes the defense run. Without him, the defense is stuck in second gear.

Zach Werenski may be the biggest “addition” to the CBJ in 2023-2024. His leadership and skillset will undoubtedly make this version of the Blue Jackets drastically better than last year’s version. The Blue Jackets will be better in every aspect of the game with Werenski in the lineup. Now the CBJ just need to keep in healthy and hope he plays the entire season. If he cannot maintain his health, then the Blue Jackets will be in trouble once again.