COLUMBUS, Ohio — Zach Werenski’s biggest joy is what’s happening around him in the Columbus Blue Jackets dressing room.
Not only does the veteran admire and appreciate new coach Dean Evason’s exacting style, but he delights in the fact the club’s young cadre of talent — forwards Kent Johnson, Cole Sillinger, Yegor Chinakhov, Adam Fantilli, Kirill Marchenko, etc. — are beginning to bloom with increased responsibility.
The Blue Jackets (9-9-3) hit Thanksgiving with a .500 record — not great, obviously, but worlds better than the past two seasons — which feels to Werenski as if the house is in order within Nationwide Arena.
There’s something else Werenski wants to get out of this season, though.
One week from now, the rosters will be announced for the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off, the midseason best-on-best showdown from the U.S., Canada, Finland and Sweden. Werenski, from Grosse Pointe, Mich., wants a spot on the U.S. roster.
“I think about it every day, to be honest,” Werenski said. “That was one of my goals coming into the year. I’ve got goals first within the team — win games, make the playoffs, all that stuff — and individually, my goal is I want to be on that team.
“If I make it, I’m going to be the best version of myself there. But if I don’t, I feel like I’ve put myself in a spot where I can sleep at night, knowing I gave it everything I have.”
Werenski was projected by most to make the U.S. roster even before the season, but he’s made quite the statement in the first quarter.
The 27-year-old has 7-15-22 in 21 games, leading the Blue Jackets in points and ranking third among the NHL’s defensemen.
His 79 shots on goal are tied for eighth in the NHL and second among blueliners. He leads the league in averaging 26 minutes per game and has had a career-high five-point game (Nov. 21 vs. Tampa Bay, including the overtime winner) and a Gordie Howe hat trick (a goal, an assist and a fight Wednesday vs. Montreal).
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When the Blue Jackets host the Calgary Flames at 3 p.m. today, Werenski will try to extend his point streak to seven games, which would match a career high.
Werenski has long been viewed as a leader in the Blue Jackets dressing room; not a big talker, necessarily, but a guy the younger players would be wise to emulate. He’s become much more verbally engaged this season, however, in the absence of captain Boone Jenner and veteran Erik Gudbranson, both out long-term with shoulder injuries.
Several players, starting with his locker neighbor Kent Johnson, have opined that Werenski probably deserves more attention across the league as one of the game’s top defensemen. Why not the Norris Trophy, Johnson wondered, and he probably has a point.
It’s hard for a small-market player like Werenski to get noticed in a league with Cale Makar (Colorado), Quinn Hughes (Vancouver), Roman Josi (Nashville) and others. The only time he’s ever received votes for the Norris was in 2019-20 when he finished eighth.
Evason, who turned 60 in August, had watched Werenski only from afar before he was hired to coach the Blue Jackets this summer. He doesn’t throw around easy compliments, but Evason, after the 7-6 overtime win vs. Tampa Bay last week, dropped the word “amazing” when talking about Werenski.
“Everybody sees the special things,” Evason said. “You see him rushing up the ice, scoring an overtime goal … those are all wonderful. (But) he’s such a well-rounded player. I think you miss the defensive greatness, if you will. It gets overshadowed by his offense.”
Evason said it really shows up on film. The benefit of slo-mo and replay are helpful, because hockey happens fast.
“His hands … those hands that score goals, that make him offensively great, they also dislodge pucks all over the place,” Evason said. “He’s got his stick on pucks and you can’t get around him. If you do, if he misses the puck, he’s got a big body and he gets in the way and boxes out very well. He keeps people from getting to the net.
“His skill set works in an offensive capacity, but it also is fantastic defensively.”
Werenski is also good at deflecting attention. When asked about being “nominated” by his teammates or complimented by his coach, he took it in a different direction.
“It’s been (21) games,” he said. “The hard part is doing it for 82 games.
“The best part about it is we’ve been winning some games here lately. It’s unfortunate, in one sense, that we have this much high-end talent from so many high-end picks because that means we haven’t been good in a while. But, in saying that, the exciting part is seeing it come to life now.
“The young guys are taking big steps all over the ice. It seems like we’re in every game.”
The NHL will announce the 4 Nations rosters on Dec. 4, but Werenski said he expects to hear over the weekend or early next week.
Here’s an indication of how much this means to him:
While the rest of the players are planning midseason vacations — the NHL will go dark from Feb. 11-21 — Werenski is only pondering backup plans. He’s hoping he’ll be draped in red, white and blue that week.
(Photo: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
