Werenski was also named a finalist for the 2025 Norris Trophy.
The NHL has announced that Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski has been named a Norris Trophy Finalist following a stellar 2025-26 season. The award will be handed out on June 25, 2026.
Rasmus Dahlin and Cale Makar are the other two finalists.
Werenski is the only CBJ defenseman to ever be named a Norris Trophy finalist.
This is Werenski's second straight season finishing as a finalist. He finished second to Cale Makar last season with 1,266 votes, but got the majority of the second-place votes with 132. He also got 13 first-place votes, but Makar ran away with it with 176 first-place votes.
The 28-year-old former #8 overall pick finished this past season with 22 goals, 59 assists, and 81 points in 75 games. He led the team in assists and points, and it can be argued that there was no player more valuable to his team than Werenski was to Columbus. Without Werenski and the year he had, the CBJ probably finishes in the bottom 5 of the league, and that's not an exaggeration.
Several national media personalities have even said that they might send Hart votes Werenski's way, too. Last year, he got 45 votes for the Hart and finished 7th in the voting.
Zach Werenski didn't have the luxury of playing with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, or Martin Nečas, so the points he put up this season look even better.
Zach Werenski should win the Norris Trophy.
Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft is on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo, where the CBJ will own pick #14.
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