When it comes to scoring goals, historically the Jackets defensive corps hasn't been very good. But in the last few seasons, Zach Werenski has taken his game to another level, both offensively and defensively. Werenski is the all-time franchise leader in career assists, and 5th in career goals. 

This year though, the Blue Jackets aren't scoring at the same rate they were last year, but one player has remained on the same pace - Zach Werenski. 

The defense has had to step up and score some goals for Columbus this season, but it isn't just Werenski. Youngster Denton Mateychuk is also potting goals relatively often, putting himself near the top of the NHL in goals by defenseman. 

Let's take a look at how the CBJ defense is doing. 

Zach Werenski - 9g-17a-26p - His 9 goals tie him for second overall in goals by defensemen behind Jacob Chychrun. He's tied with perennial leader Cale Makar. His 17 assists tie him for 7th overall in assists, and his 26 points tie Adam Fox for 2nd behind Makar and his 32 points. It's worth noting that Adam Fox just went on LTIR, so Zach has a chance to pull away.  

Werenski is on a bit of a heater. He has 3 goals and 7 points in his last 5 games, and 5 goals and 15 points in the last 10 games. His current scoring pace puts him at 29 goals and 82 points. His 26:31 time on ice ranks second to fellow American Quinn Hughes. 

Denton Mateychuk - 6g-4a-10p - His 6 goals tie him for 5th overall with several other players, and just three behind teammate Werenski. It seems like he scores more, but in reality, his goals are usually in big situations, which magnifies them. He's scored two goals in his last four games and has three in his last 10. 

He's on pace for 19 goals and 13 assists, both of which would be career highs. 

The rest of the CBJ defense has only combined for 5 goals. Damon Severson has a goal and 7 assists, while Ivan Provorov has chipped in 3 goals and 5 assists. 

Where do the Jackets rank leaguewide? 

Their 20 goals as a unit rank only second to the Washington Capitals, who are two goals ahead, led by Jacob Chychrun and his 10. 

In terms of total points as a unit, the Jackets have 58 points, which is 11th in the league. 

The unit is 3rd overall in shots per game at 1.65, and their shot % is 4th overall at 7.8%. 

Offensively, as a unit, Werenski and Mateychuk are definitely carrying the club, but that's ok. When you have guys like Kirill Marchenko, Dmitri Voronkov, and Adam Fantilli who can score whenever they want to, it takes the pressure off the defense a bit. But you absolutely need players like Werenski and Mateychuk who can not only play good defense, but who can also drive play, score, and dish out assists. 

Zach Werenski and Denton Mateychuk are having great seasons so far. 

Up Next: The Jackets are back at home on Thursday to face the Detroit Red Wings. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story.  

Let us know what you think below.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.