The Columbus Blue Jackets have one of the NHL’s best players in Zach Werenski, and the bigger question right now is whether they’re leaning on him too hard.
The workload has been heavy for a while. Last season, Werenski finished second in the league in average ice time at 26:37, trailing only Quinn Hughes by a little more than a minute.
The year before, in 2024-25, he led the NHL at 26:45, again about a minute ahead of Hughes. Go back to 2023-24, and he still ranked 15th at 24:27.
That kind of usage has come with production. Over the last two seasons, Werenski averaged at least a point per game while logging more than two minutes per game.
Coincidence? Probably not.
This season, he’s been busy again. Through seven games, Werenski is averaging 29:22 in ice time, a number that sits well ahead of Owen Power’s 26:45. He has already had two games over 30 minutes, and only one of those came in overtime.
The offense is still there, too, even if the goals haven’t arrived yet. Werenski has 6 points in 6 games, but he’s still hunting for his first goal. It’s not because he hasn’t fired the puck - he has 16 shots in 7 games.
Part of the ice-time spike makes sense because Ivan Provorov is out, and he’s another player who eats minutes. When Provorov returns, ideally soon, that should take some of the load off Werenski.
Still, the larger question remains: if Columbus finds a way to make a playoff push, can Werenski keep carrying this kind of burden deep into the season and through a few long series?
The Blue Jackets are back home Tuesday to welcome back Kirill Marchenko and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In Other News...
Zach Werenski's Future In Columbus May Hinge On One Thing
Zach Werenskis name is back in the rumor mill, even if the path to anything happening is far from simple. On the Spittin Chiclets podcast, Paul Bissonnette suggested the Blue Jackets could eventually explore moving their defenseman if the teams play does not pick up, a reminder of how quickly a struggling season can revive old trade chatter around one of Columbus cornerstone players.
Werenski has made it clear he wants to stay in Columbus and help the club get back to the playoffs, and his leverage is substantial. He also reportedly turned down a trade to Dallas in the offseason, and with a full no-trade clause in place, any future discussion would have to clear a major obstacle before it gets anywhere. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Face An Early Trade Decision That Could Shift The Lineup
With the Blue Jackets still sorting out how aggressively they want to push this season, Dmitri Voronkov has emerged as one of the more interesting names in their early trade conversations. Columbus is reportedly open to moving the forward, who has been a productive piece during his time with the club and remains the kind of player other teams would likely view as a useful addition.
Voronkov is in the final year of his contract, which gives the Blue Jackets a built-in decision point as they weigh short-term gains against the value of keeping him in the lineup. There is no deal on the verge of happening, but the fact that Columbus is even exploring whether he could be part of a trade package suggests the front office is at least considering a move that would bring immediate help back the other way. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Still Havent Been Tested The Way Fans Wanted
The Blue Jackets are only seven games into the season, but the bigger issue has been the lineup churn around them. At 3-4-0, Columbus has had to navigate the early schedule without two important defensemen, which has blurred the picture of what this group really looks like when it is whole. The absence of Ivan Provorov has been especially noticeable, pushing more responsibility onto others and forcing Zach Werenski and the rest of the blue line to soak up heavier minutes.
Dante Fabbros injury has added another layer to that uncertainty, leaving the Jackets without a steady defensive mix long enough to get a fair read on their start. Until the roster settles down and the back end can play together for more than a brief stretch, the early results will remain hard to judge. For a team trying to establish itself, the real test still feels like it is waiting off in the near future. [Read more 🡒]