Zach Werenski not only continues to be the best player for the Columbus Blue Jackets but is also one of the best defensemen in the NHL.
Defenseman Zach Werenski is really fun to watch, and right now, he's on one of his patented heaters.
Last night, Werenski played in his 600th career game, putting him fourth overall in franchise history. He moved past former Captain Nick Foligno and now sits 27 games behind recently retired CBJ legend Cam Atkinson. Rick Nash, who is second, sits at 674, which means Werenski will pass him by this time next season. Boone Jenner currently ranks first overall, but with him back and healthy, Werenski probably won't pass him.
How did Zach Werenski celebrate moving up yet another spot in a stat category? He went off of course.
Werenski scored two goals and added an assist to his team's lead in points. With his two goals, he sits at 11, which is second on the team behind Adam Fantilli and Dmitri Voronkov. He now has 25 assists as well, which is 9 better than Kirill Marchenko. His assist from last night was #296 for his career, which is 103 better than Boone Jenner, who is next on the active list for Columbus.
He led the team with over 29 minutes of ice time and had 4 shots as well.
With his three points last night, he now extends his home points streak to 11 games. In those 11 games, he has a stat line of 7-13-20. This is now the second longest home points streak in team history, second to only himself. Last season, from Nov. 1, 2024, to Feb. 22, 2025, Werenski had a 22-game home points streak which consisted of a stat line of 14-27-41.
His first goal from last night, which was his 10th of the season, now gives him eight 10-goal seasons, which ties him with John Carlson on the active list for American-born defensemen. He sits 13th on the all-time list for goals by American defensemen, and 31st in assists. He's also 26th in total points for Americans.
This season, amongst defensemen, his 11 goals are second only to Jacob Chychrun's 12. His 25 assists are 5 behind Cale Makar, and his 36 points are 4 back of Makar as well. He's 5th in the entire NHL in shots and is second behind Quinn Hughes with an average ice time of 26:43.
Many thought Werenski would take a step back this season after his phenomenal 2024-25 season, in which he set several team records. But it's not just the CBJ's season he's playing for, Werenski is playing for a spot on the 2026 US Olympic team.
Some people thought he was a fringe player to make the team, which is asinine considering his performance at the 4-Nations Tournament earlier this year and his history of representing the United States in various tournaments. Not to mention his NHL play, which is at an elite level and has been for years.
Enjoy watching Zach Werenski every shift he takes, because one day you won't be able to, and you'll regret it.
Up Next: The Jackets are back at home to play the Minnesota Wild on Thursday.
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