In the four games since returning from an ankle injury he suffered on Dec. 27, Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski has proven why he's an elite NHL blueliner. In the 10 games he missed, the team went 3-5-2 and is 2-1-1 in the games since he returned.
In Tuesday's 1-0 win over the St. Louis Blues, Werenski provided the primary assist on the game's lone goal with a beautiful play to find Dmitri Voronkov.
Easy as 1-2-3.
— Bally Sports Columbus (@BallySportsCBUS) January 31, 2024
Dmitri Voronkov gives the @BlueJacketsNHL a 1-0 lead over the Blues in the third period thanks to assists from Johnny Gaudreau and Zach Werenski.#CBJ pic.twitter.com/TsFG4qH29u
Werenski recorded a game score of 2.06, which is very good, on Tuesday, and has averaged a 1.3 game score since returning, according to hockeystatcards.com.
He leads the team with 27 assists in addition to evolving-hockey.com's goals above replacement (9.2) and wins above replacement (1.5) metrics. Among NHL defensemen with at least 920 minutes, he's 12th in both GAR per 60 minutes and WAR per 60 minutes.
For the Blue Jackets to be competitive, they need Weresnki to be on the ice because when he's on the ice, he's elite.
