Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski: No delays expected at camp
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Werenski (shoulder) feels 100 percent and will be ready for training camp, Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site reports.
Werenski underwent shoulder surgery Nov. 29 after playing in just 13 games last season prior to the injury. The defenseman should return to a top-four role if he doesn't suffer a setback before Opening Night. Werenski has been able to train normally this summer and has been playing in summer-league games in the Columbus area.
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Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski: Skates at practice Friday
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Werenski (shoulder) skated at practice Friday, Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site reports.
This is the first time that Werenski has skated with the team since his successful shoulder surgery Nov. 29. He will not play the rest of the season but is hoping to be at full strength before he returns home during the summer. Werenski had three goals and eight points in 13 games this season before his injury.
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Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski: Has shoulder surgery
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Werenski had successful shoulder surgery Tuesday.
Werenski is gone for the season as he is expected to miss the next six months. The talented defenseman should be ready to go in September when training camp for the 2023-24 season begins. He had three goals and five assists in 13 games before his injury.
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Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski: Shifts to LTIR
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Werenski (shoulder) was placed on long-term injured reserve Saturday, according to CapFriendly.
Werenski, who is expected to miss the remainder of the 2022-23 season, was put on regular injured reserve earlier this week. The Blue Jackets brought up blueliner Billy Sweezey on Saturday.
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Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski: On injured reserve list
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Werenski (shoulder) was put on the injured reserve list Tuesday, per Blue Jackets team reporter Jeff Svoboda.
Werenski isn't expected to play again this season, which makes his move to the injured reserve list unsurprising. He's a huge part of the Blue Jackets' defense, so his absence has naturally left a big hole to fill. Jake Christiansen made his NHL season debut Saturday and could find himself playing fairly regularly with Werenski unavailable.
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Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski: Expected to miss rest of season
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Werenski suffered a separated shoulder and torn labrum and is expected to miss the remainder of the season.
Werenski suffered the injury in the first period Thursday after picking up a goal and an assist in a 5-2 win over Philadelphia. The injury is a huge blow to the Blue Jackets, who have relied on Werenski being their top defenseman. Look for Jake Bean to take Werenski's place, quarterbacking the first power play.
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Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski: Facing long-term absence
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Head coach Brad Larsen said Werenski's upper-body injury "is not good at all," indicating the defenseman could be out long-term, Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers reports.
A specific timeline on Werenski's return has yet to be established and will likely require additional evaluation. Fantasy managers should prepare to find a replacement for Werenski on virtual squads. Jake Bean seems likely to take on his power-play role, and the Blue Jackets will likely call up a blueliner to fill Werenski's spot in the lineup.
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Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski: Suffers upper-body injury
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Werenski sustained an upper-body injury in the first period of Thursday's contest against Philadelphia and will miss the rest of the game.
Werenski was off to a fantastic start, recording a goal and an assist before being forced to exit the contest. He's a vital part of the Blue Jackets' defense, having averaged 25:04 of ice time through 12 games prior to Thursday's contest. Columbus will have a tough time adjusting if he misses any significant amount of time. Jake Bean in particular might be asked to do more if Werenski is unavailable.
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Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski: Surfaces with power-play helper
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Werenski registered a power-play assist against the Avalanche on Friday, but the Blue Jackets lost, 6-3.
Werenski is an established defenseman whose name always comes up in fantasy drafts, but he's been a bit inconsistent to start the season. The power-play quarterback has just two goals, three assists and a minus-6 rating, and he's yet to turn in a multi-point effort through 11 games. Werenski and the Blue Jackets are set for a matinee rematch against the Avs from Finland on Saturday.
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Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski: Opens scoring Sunday
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Werenski scored a first-period goal Sunday, sparking the Blue Jackets to a 5-1 victory over the host Rangers.
Werenski, an alternate captain, continues to provide leadership to the young squad; the Blue Jackets had the fourth-youngest team on Opening Night. Going against a Stanley Cup contender, Werenski paced the Blue Jackets with a plus-3 rating and four shots. The 2015 first-round draft pick has two goals and an assist in seven outings, but he has yet to record a power-play point.
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Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski: Misses prime scoring chance
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Werenski scored a goal Tuesday, lifting the Blue Jackets to a 4-3 overtime victory over the Canucks.
Werenski, who played a solid all-around game Tuesday, likely will not want to sit down and watch the video of the extra stanza. Skating in on a 3-on-0 breakaway, the 25-year-old defenseman received an open drop pass and shot wide of the net. Werenski also chipped in five shots on goal and five blocks.
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Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski: Opens season with helper
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Werenski picked up an assist in Wednesday's 4-1 loss to the Hurricanes.
The blueliner cut off a clearing attempt by Carolina early in the second period and deflected the puck to Patrik Laine (upper body) in the slot, who wired a shot over Frederik Andersen's shoulder to open the scoring on the night. Unfortunately for the Blue Jackets, the game was all Hurricanes from there. Werenski scored 11 goals and a career-high 48 points last season, and the 25-year-old could see his production grow even more with Johnny Gaudreau providing a boost to the Columbus offense and power play.
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Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski: Back at it
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Werenski (illness) returned to practice Tuesday, Brian Hedger of The Columbus Dispatch reports.
Werenski missed Monday's practice due to an illness, but whatever he was dealing with evidently wasn't overly serious. The 25-year-old defender will be looking to submit a second straight strong campaign in 2022-23 after racking up 11 goals and 48 points through 68 contests last season.
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Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski: Dealing with illness
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Werenski (illness) did not skate on Monday, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports.
Werenski is day-to-day with a non-COVID illness. Columbus will host St. Louis on Thursday and visit Washington on Saturday to wrap up the preseason schedule.
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Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski: On track for camp
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Werenski (nose) will be ready for training camp in September, Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers reports.
Werenski missed the final two games of the 2021-22 campaign with a broken nose, but he was always expected to make a full recovery in time for training camp. The 24-year-old had one of his best seasons yet from an offensive standpoint last year, racking up 11 goals, 48 points and 216 shots on net through 68 games, making him an attractive fantasy option heading into the 2022-23 season.
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Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski: Out with broken nose
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Werenski sustained a broken nose and won't be available for the Jackets' final two games of the season, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports Thursday.
Werenski was just one game back from a previous upper-body issue and will now be sidelined again due to his broken nose. With Nick Blankenburg (upper body) also on the shelf, Jake Bean should see an uptick in ice time. For his part, Werenski will see his campaign come to a close having recorded a career-high 48 points in 68 games.
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Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski: Cleared to play versus Bolts
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Werenski (upper body) will be in action against Tampa Bay on Tuesday, Blue Jackets team reporter Jeff Svoboda reports.
Werenski missed the previous three games due to his upper-body injury but will rejoin the lineup for the first time since April 17 against Anaheim. In addition to rejoining the top pairing, Werenski figures to be back on the No. 1 power-play unit where he has generated 13 of his 47 points this year.
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Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski: Still sidelined
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Werenski (upper body) won't be in the lineup for Friday's game versus the Senators, Blue Jackets team reporter Jeff Svoboda reports.
Werenski will miss a second straight contest with his upper-body injury. At this point it isn't clear if Werenski will be ready to return before Columbus' last game of the season next Friday against the Penguins.
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Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski: Won't play Tuesday
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Werenski (upper body) won't be available for Tuesday's game against San Jose, Blue Jackets team reporter Jeff Svoboda reports.
Werenski will miss at least one contest with the upper-body injury he suffered during Sunday's loss to the Ducks. Another update on the 24-year-old defender should surface prior to Friday's game versus Ottawa.
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Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski: Exits Sunday's game
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Werenski (upper body) will not return to Sunday's tilt with Anaheim.
Werenski logged just 1:23 of ice time before exiting Sunday's game. The 24-year-old has 47 points through 67 games, tying the career high he set during his 2016-17 rookie campaign. An update on his status should be available ahead of Tuesday's matchup against the Sharks.
