With the Columbus Blue Jackets season already in the gutter, this piece of news is a crushing blow. Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman Zach Werenski will miss the rest of the season. After suffering a separated shoulder and a torn labrum, he will be out of the lineup leaving a glaring hole on the back end.
Zach Werenski Out For Season With Torn Labrum
The #CBJ announce that Zach Werenski is done for the regular season. He suggested a separated shoulder and torn labrum last night.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) November 11, 2022
Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman Zach Werenski missing the year is a crushing blow to a team that had high expectations. Not only is he on the shelf, but the club also had placed Sean Kuraly, Jakub Voracek, and Nick Blankenburg on injured reserve. The main focus is Werenski, but that’s a lot of names out of the lineup that are crucial.
The Impact Werenski Has On The Club
Werenski is the franchise defenceman on this team. Since being a full-time player for the club, he has produced tremendously. Last season he had a career year in points (48) and assists (37) and is not far removed from his 20-goal season in 2019-20. Since the departure of Seth Jones, Werenski has been the franchise defenceman and will continue to do so in the future. Werenski currently leads all defencemen in points on the team (8) and is currently third overall. It is safe to say his presence will be missed.
Where Does Columbus Go From Here?
TRANSACTIONS: #CBJ place D Nick Blankenburg, C Sean Kuraly and LW Jakub Voracek on IR. Add D Gavin Bayreuther, D Marcus Bjork & D David Jiricek to roster on emergency recall.
Also an update on D Zach Werenski.https://t.co/ZtUYjftUEP
— CBJ Public Relations (@BlueJacketsPR) November 11, 2022
Emergency call-ups have been made. Gavin Bayreuther, Marcus Bjork, and David Jiricek are the troops that will reinforce the club. Bjork has yet to skate with the big club, but between the other two, they have a combined three games. Neither has any points, but Jiricek is a -4 and has four shots on goal.
Columbus is a mess and currently sits dead last in the Eastern Conference and in the Metropolitan Division. The team already has trouble defending and keeping the puck out of their net (55 goals allowed in all situations). With Werenski out, that becomes a more challenging task. It is still early in the season, and a turnaround is possible. If that is the case, the team could turn to the trade market for help or just let the young guns play and grow their games.
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