{"time":1776799464180,"blocks":[{"id":"tTQrsWtjJr","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Zach Werenski is the greatest defenseman to ever play for the Columbus Blue Jackets, and there's no denying that. But is he the best overall player to ever play for the club? It's between him and Rick Nash, and the distance between those two players and any other skater isn't really close. "}},{"id":"mo8zukn5","type":"video","data":{"url":"https://media-cdn.roundtable.io/media-service/videos/5ee3c2a8-52eb-46fe-a27e-bae0a4fcf746/mp4","caption":"","autoplay":false,"controls":true,"muted":false,"stretched":true,"width":0,"height":0,"image":{"url":"https://media-cdn.roundtable.io/media-service/videos/5ee3c2a8-52eb-46fe-a27e-bae0a4fcf746/thumbnail"},"cdn":{"videoId":"5ee3c2a8-52eb-46fe-a27e-bae0a4fcf746","libraryId":"372172","collectionId":"30032062-eefd-4041-a355-12ad05bc987b","cdnBaseUrl":"https://vz-052fc010-b27.b-cdn.net","mp4Url":"https://media-cdn.roundtable.io/media-service/videos/5ee3c2a8-52eb-46fe-a27e-bae0a4fcf746/mp4","thumbnailUrl":"https://media-cdn.roundtable.io/media-service/videos/5ee3c2a8-52eb-46fe-a27e-bae0a4fcf746/thumbnail","previewAnimationUrl":"https://vz-052fc010-b27.b-cdn.net/5ee3c2a8-52eb-46fe-a27e-bae0a4fcf746/preview.webp"}}},{"id":"WQnLGUks-p","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"For the second straight season, Zach Werenski had put the team on his back. So, let's take a look at his potentially Norris-winning season. "}},{"id":"JLltBTIXtQ","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Games Played - 75 - Down from 81 in 24-25. Werenski had an illness that sidelined him for a few games, and he blocked a shot that kept him out as well."}},{"id":"fPDhyeg2R-","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Goals - 22 - Down from 23 the previous year, but he played less games this year. Werenski led league defensemen in even strength goals. and had 4 power play goals. "}},{"id":"GVtZUTo5QV","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Assists - 59 - He tied the single-season franchise record for assists (59 by himself in 2024-25 & Artemi Panarin in 2018-19). He had 17 power-play assists. "}},{"id":"wdimWvR3w6","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Points - 81 - Down a single point from 24-25. He is only the third American-born defenseman in NHL history to post consecutive 80-point seasons (Housley from 1991-93 & Leetch from 1990-92). Werenski is also just the second skater in franchise history (Artemi Panarin) to post two-straight 50-assist and 70-point campaigns. He set the single-season franchise record for most multi-point performances (26), surpassing Panarin’s 25 in 2018-19. He also set a club record for most multi-point games in a season. "}},{"id":"ajkPf5Mp-6","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Shots On Goal - 260 - Down from 298 in 24-25. Finished 13th among all players in shots. "}},{"id":"BuJ5G3cVXm","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Time On Ice - 26:37 - Basically even compared to 24-25. He finished 2nd behind Quinn Hughes for average ice time in the entire league. "}},{"id":"PHf9ok0Ocf","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Blocks - 94 - 4th most in his career. "}},{"id":"69ZiudLEAa","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Zach Werenski didn't have the luxury of playing with Connor McDavid or Nathan MacKinnon, but he carried this team all year and should probably win the Norris Trophy in my opinion. "}},{"id":"pPUd64BwcG","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Evan Bouchard led all defensemen with 95 points, but again, he had the pleasure of playing with arguably two of the top 3 players in the world night in and night out. Bouchard had a great season, yes. But there wasn't a player in the league more important to his team than Zach Werenski. "}},{"id":"QpvN71bbmX","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft Lottery on May 5, 2025, where the CBJ will most likely pick 14 or 15. "}},{"id":"7izzz41dkx","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!"}},{"id":"aaw5zjNuSa","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story."}},{"id":"RGF-XtNdJn","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Let us know what you think below."}},{"id":"skcvNsWFAX","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"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."}}],"version":"2.31.5"}

2025-26 Player Review: Zach Werenski