Is he in, or is he out?
Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski is officially "day-to-day," head coach Brad Larsen said following Monday's practice.
Werenski sustained a hit to the head late in the late first period of Saturday night's 3-2 overtime loss at Minnesota, courtesy of a collision with Wild defenseman Jacob Middleton.
oh no, this jacob middleton hit on zach werenski ends in an injury to werenski's face pic.twitter.com/BnaKzr8CYN
— Hockey Wilderness (@hockeywildernes) March 27, 2022
"(He's) just day-to-day, we'll see how he is tomorrow," Larsen said of Werenski. "We'll see where it goes."
The game was physical with tensions boiling over from the previous clash earlier this month, a Mar. 11 game at Nationwide Arena that saw Columbus rally to tie the game late (on a Werenski goal in the dying seconds of regulation), before falling in a shootout.
That first matchup was also marked with controversy when Minnesota forward Marcus Foligno kneed Blue Jackets forward Jakub Voracek. The NHL's Department of Player Safety issued Foligno a $5,000 fine, the maximum allowed under the league's CBA.
Minnesotas Marcus Foligno has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for Kneeing Columbus Jakub Voracek.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) March 12, 2022
Yet, the hit by Middleton against Werenski didn't result in any disciplinary action being taken by Minnesota or the league.
Werenski has collected 10 goals and 32 assists for 42 points in 60 games played so far this season. He was the Blue Jackets' lone representative at this season's All-Star Game in early February in Las Vegas. Werenski has 13 power play points and is unquestionably their No. 1 option at both even strength and on the power play; earlier this season, he became the franchise's leader in goals by a defenseman, surpassing his old partner Seth Jones.
With Werenski's status for Tuesday's game up in the air, Larsen may be forced to juggle his lineup again. The remaining five defensemen in Saturday's game all played 21 minutes or more, with Larsen saying they were "chugging pickle juice" to stave off cramping.
A recall from Cleveland (AHL) is possible and Columbus still has Gabriel Carlsson on the roster. Jake Christiansen, who has played well for the Monsters and enjoyed a couple cups of coffee in Columbus, could be a candidate for recall before Tuesday.
