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Zach Werenski

Blue Jackets Activate Zach Werenski Off IR, Reassign David Jiricek

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After missing a total of 10 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets, the team has announced defenseman Zach Werenski has been activated from the team’s injured reserve. To clear a spot on the active roster, the team has reassigned defenseman David Jiricek to their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters.

Even though Werenski will likely not save the Blue Jackets from another disappointing season, seeing the return of a defenseman of his stature is a victory for the organization nonetheless. Leading the team in average time on ice at 24 minutes, Werenski has scored one goal and 25 points in 34 games for Columbus so far this season, putting him third on the team in scoring.

Not only the best defenseman but arguably the best player on the Blue Jackets, Werenski is rather unique in the sense that he is tasked with leading the team’s primary powerplay unit, as well as seeing a fair amount of usage on the team’s penalty kill. In Werenski’s absence over the last 10 games, the team’s powerplay has only been able to execute 12.9% of the time, with the penalty kill only achieving a 70.9% success rate, both marketable drop-offs compared to the team’s current averages.

Nevertheless, even with Werenski being one of the most important players in Columbus, there are very legitimate concerns surrounding his ability to stay healthy. Out of a potential 266 games since the beginning of the 2020-21 NHL season, Werenski has only played in 150 of those contests, meaning he has missed nearly 44% of games over the last several years.

Originally recalled back from assignment on January 21st, Jiricek will return to Cleveland to continue to regain confidence in his game. Since his initial reassignment on January 18th, Jiricek was able to suit up in two games for the Monsters, assisting on all three goals scored for the team in their January 20th matchup against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

East Notes: Chychrun, Flyers, Devils, Werenski

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With the Senators struggling this season, some sort of core shakeup is expected under new GM Steve Staios.  Accordingly, some have suggested that defenseman Jakob Chychrun could be a candidate to be moved.  The blueliner spoke with Ian Mendes of The Athletic (subscription link) and voiced his frustration about being involved in trade speculation once again (he was in rumors for multiple years while in Arizona).  He also pushed back on any suggestions that he has soured on playing in Ottawa, going as far as saying that he’s “loving every moment here”.  While his desire may be to remain with the Sens, teams are certainly calling about Chychrun who has one year left on his contract after this season with a below-market $4.6MM cap hit.  He has 27 points in 43 games so far this season while logging over 22 minutes a night.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • The Flyers have been one of the biggest surprises of the season, sitting second in the Metropolitan Division heading into tonight’s action. However, don’t assume they’ll change plans and become buyers at the March 8th deadline.  Speaking with reporters today (video link), GM Daniel Briere indicated that the team is still thinking about the future and that they shouldn’t be counted on as being big buyers by then.  However, he also suggested that he won’t necessarily look to move out veteran pieces for the sake of making trades either.  Philadelphia has been speculated as a possible seller, especially on the back end with blueliners Sean Walker and Nick Seeler set to become unrestricted free agents but it’s definitely possible that they largely stand pat with how well their season has gone.
  • The Devils are set to welcome back a pair of veterans tomorrow as team reporter Amanda Stein relays (Twitter link) that winger Ondrej Palat (lower body) and defenseman Colin Miller (illness) should return to the lineup tomorrow against Carolina. Palat has yet to play in 2024, another tough blow on what has been a quiet season so far as the 32-year-old has just five goals and nine assists in 35 games.  Miller, meanwhile, missed Monday’s game against Vegas and has had a sparing role in the first half of the year, collecting just five points in 25 games.
  • Blue Jackets blueliner Zach Werenski was expected to return at some point on their ongoing road trip but it appears it’ll be sooner rather than later. Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch notes (Twitter link) that the 26-year-old appears to be on track to return on Thursday versus Calgary.  Werenski hasn’t played in nearly a month due to a lower-body injury but is still tied for second on the team in scoring with 25 points in 34 games.

Morning Notes: Laine, Werenski, Byram, Engvall

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Zach Werenski and Patrik Laine are expected to return on the five-game road trip the Columbus Blue Jackets begin on Tuesday. Laine has missed the team’s last 14 games with a broken collarbone, while Werenski has missed 10 games with an ankle injury.

The Blue Jackets went 3-4-3 without their pair of top talents, averaging just 2.7 goals-for and 4.1 goals-against. Werenski’s return will mark the most notable impact, as the 26-year-old defenseman still ranks third on the team in scoring – with one goal and 25 points in 34 games – despite missing 11 games on the season. Laine hasn’t been as productive, boasting six goals and nine points in 18 games, though he was on a hot streak before his injury – netting five points in his last six games. The duo have become pivotal to Columbus’ success, and frequent absentees from the lineup. Laine posted 22 goals and 52 points in 55 games last season, while Werenski was only able to appear in 13 games – and score eight points – as he missed most of the season with a torn labrum and separated shoulder. The Blue Jackets will hope both players can find a newfound bout of health upon their return, as they work to improve on a season that currently has them ranked in the league’s bottom five.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Colorado Avalanche have activated defenseman Bowen Byram off on injured reserve. The 22-year-old defenseman has appeared in 39 of Colorado’s 47 games this season, netting 12 points split evenly. He’s managed the scoring while serving in a top-end role, averaging over 20 minutes of ice time – though it’s a step down from the nearly 22 minutes of ice time Byram averaged in 42 games last season. Caleb Jones and Sam Malinski will likely step out of the lineup to make space for Byram, though one of the two could still see ice time as the Avalanche have opted for seven defensemen recently.

  • Stefen Rosner of NHL.com is reporting that New York Islanders forward Pierre Engvall is feeling better and has returned to full contact at Islanders practice. The 27-year-old has been dealing with an upper-body injury and has not suited up for New York since a 5-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild on January 15th. Engvall’s style of play should be well suited for new head coach Patrick Roy’s system as puck possession remains a strong suit for the former seventh-round pick. Engvall’s numbers are down a bit this season as has just five goals and nine assists in 41 games this season. His shooting percentage has plummeted to just 7.5% down from a career-high 13% last season. There is no timetable yet for Engvall to return to the Islanders lineup.

Blue Jackets Place Sean Kuraly On IR, Recall Jake Christiansen

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The Blue Jackets have made a pair of roster moves leading into today’s contest against Buffalo.  The team announced that they’ve placed center Sean Kuraly on injured reserve retroactive to December 23; they’ve recalled defenseman Jake Christiansen from AHL Cleveland to take his place on the roster.  Meanwhile, the team also revealed that blueliner Zach Werenski will miss four to six weeks with the ankle injury that landed him on IR yesterday.

Kuraly suffered an abdominal injury last weekend against Toronto and was recently listed as day-to-day.  This placement suggests that he’ll miss the game against the Sabres but he will be eligible to return at any point after that due to the back-dating.  The 30-year-old has 11 points and a team-leading 74 hits in 35 games so far this season while logging 13:29 per night.

As for Christiansen, this is his first recall of the season after clearing waivers back in training camp.  The 24-year-old had been quite productive with the Monsters during his entry-level deal and that has continued into his fourth professional campaign as he has 22 points in 28 games so far.  Despite the offensive success in the minors, that has yet to materialize into production at the top level as Christiansen has just five points in 32 career NHL appearances.

Werenski, meanwhile, will be a big loss for the next month for Columbus.  He’s tied for the team lead in points with Johnny Gaudreau, picking up a goal and 24 assists while leading the way in playing time, logging over 24 minutes a night.  Andrew Peeke took his place in the lineup last night against Toronto although they could opt to give Christiansen a look in that spot today.

Blue Jackets Place Zach Werenski On Injured Reserve, Activate Jack Roslovic

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The Blue Jackets placed defenseman Zach Werenski on injured reserve Friday, the NHL’s media site reflects. Head coach Pascal Vincent informed reporters yesterday that he’d be sidelined on a week-to-week basis with a lower-body injury. A team release distributed later Friday reflects that Werenski sustained an ankle injury and that the team has also activated forward Jack Roslovic off injured reserve.

Werenski will miss a minimum of seven days, starting from Wednesday when he sustained the injury against the Devils, but he’ll likely be sidelined for much longer given the week-to-week designation. This continues a stretch of horrid injury luck for the Blue Jackets’ top defenseman, who missed two games early this season with a quadriceps contusion and nearly all of last season with a shoulder injury.

He may have just one goal through 34 games, but Werenski has racked up 24 assists for a 0.74 points per game rate that’s the highest of his career – and on the team this season. His two-way play is also at a peak, posting a team-high +1.5 expected rating while averaging nearly 20 minutes per game at even strength and additional time on both special teams units. Simply put, the 26-year-old has been the Blue Jackets’ best player this season by a decent margin.

His absence won’t affect the Blue Jackets’ outlook this season very much, as their 11-18-7 start to the campaign has them with just a 0.6% chance of making the playoffs, per Hockey Reference. However, it is another tough blow for one of the division’s top defensemen who, at 26 years old, is beginning his prime.

If the Blue Jackets can build a playoff contender out of this current group of developing prospects, Werenski will be the leader of the core. He has four seasons remaining after this at a $9.58MM cap hit.

Roslovic will return to the lineup tonight for the first time in over six weeks. He last played on November 12 against the Rangers before sustaining an ankle fracture, resulting in a 21-game absence.

Before getting injured, the 26-year-old had eight points through 14 games. He is expected to play wing on the team’s fourth line alongside Brendan Gaunce and Alexandre Texier in tonight’s game against the Maple Leafs, the teams’ third meeting of the season.

Injury Updates: Werenski, Carpenter, Cates

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Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski has dealt with significant injury issues in recent years, including an injury that knocked him out for most of last season. That bad luck continued last night when Werenski was knocked out of the team’s game against the New Jersey Devils after an awkward collision with Devils forward Ondřej Palát.

Today, team reporter Jeff Svoboda relayed word from Blue Jackets head coach Pascal Vincent, who said that Werenski is still being evaluated but the injury is most likely going to keep Werenski out on a week-to-week basis. An extended Werenski absence could very well deal a killing blow to the Blue Jackets’ already long-shot playoff hopes, as the team would need to replace a defenseman scoring at a 60-point pace who plays over 24 minutes per night, including on both special teams units.

Some other injury updates from across the NHL:

  • The San Jose Sharks announced that forward Ryan Carpenter has been activated off of injured reserve. In a corresponding move, the team placed forward Givani Smith on injured reserve, retroactive to December 21st. Carpenter has missed the last 10 games with an undisclosed injury and has five points in 18 games so far this season playing as a defensive/penalty-killing specialist in San Jose. Smith 25, has played in 26 games this season and has logged three points and 33 penalty minutes.
  • According to The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz, Philadelphia Flyers forward Noah Cates skated today as part of his recovery from a lower-body injury that was originally slated to cost him six to eight weeks. Cates was not having the strongest sophomore campaign before his injury, and his offensive production had declined sharply compared to last season. But in his rookie year he showed himself to be a promising defensive forward, so regardless of his struggles so far this year the Flyers have to be hoping that he’ll return to full strength relatively soon.

Columbus Blue Jackets Activate Zach Werenski, Waive Liam Foudy

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced three roster moves. Star defenseman Zach Werenski has been activated off of injured reserve, and forward Liam Foudy has been placed on waivers for the purpose of assignment to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters as a corresponding move.

Also, prospect forward Jordan Dumais was activated off of injured reserve and loaned to the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL.

It had been anticipated by some that defenseman David Jiricek would find himself returned to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters whenever Werenski ended up returning to the lineup.

That’s not the case, though, and according to team reporter Jeff Svoboda Jiricek is actually projected to retain his spot on head coach Pascal Vincent’s nightly lineup. Per Svoboda, 2018 eighth-overall pick Adam Boqvist is likely to be headed for the press box to make room for Werenski’s return.

This activation is great news for the Blue Jackets, who have only enjoyed 14 total games of Werenski both this season and last. Injuries have dogged Werenski in recent years, but when healthy he’s among the NHL’s most dynamic blueliners.

Widely considered a true number-one defenseman, having Werenski in the lineup significantly enhances the Blue Jackets’ ability to compete on a nightly basis.

The result of Werenski’s activation is that Foudy, 23, gets exposed to waivers. The Blue Jackets spent the 18th overall pick at the 2018 draft to select Foudy out of the London Knights of the OHL. The Blue Jackets seemed to be making a bet that Foudy’s genuinely elite speed would allow him to develop into not only an elite OHL scorer but also an impact NHLer.

So far, that bet hasn’t paid off, as Foudy has just 19 points in 90 career NHL games. In his longest stretch of extended NHL action, the 2022-23 season, Foudy managed just 14 points in 62 games. Owner of a $762.5k cap hit through the end of the season, claiming the pending RFA could be an intriguing possibility for teams who may believe they can harness Foudy’s past potential as a prospect in ways the Blue Jackets to this point have not been able to.

As for the move to activate Dumais, what’s notable here is that the Blue Jackets were unable to secure a waiver to allow the 19-year-old to spend 2023-24 in the AHL.

There’s an argument to be made that Dumais has absolutely nothing left to prove at the QMJHL level (he did score 140 points in just 64 games last season, after all) but it seems that such arguments may not have been enough to earn Dumais the type of waiver from the CHL that Shane Wright received. So he’s headed back to the Halifax Mooseheads, where he could very well post video game-like numbers for another season.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Kane, Zub, Werenski

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In the most recent 32 Thoughts podcast episode, Elliotte Friedman added credence to the idea that star free agent Patrick Kane could sign with the Dallas Stars. Friedman says that a very reliable source shared the likelihood of Kane landing in Dallas, adding that the stylistic fit could be good for the aging veteran.

The Stars rapidly rise up the power rankings of teams likely to land Kane, leapfrogging the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, and Buffalo Sabres. Dallas has flexed a very deep forward group this season, providing nearly identical ice time to each of their top three lines. The only weak spot is likely 34-year-old winger Evgenii Dadonov, who’s spent the year alongside Wyatt Johnston and Jamie Benn. This could be the role that Kane takes over if he joins the Stars; bringing a little more mobility and finesse to the line.

Only three forwards in Dallas’ top nine have scored a goal at this point in the year: Joe Pavelski, Benn, and Roope Hintz. Kane’s all-out-offensive style may be enough to kickstart the Stars’ scorers.

Other notes from around the league:

Blue Jackets Place Zach Werenski On Injured Reserve, Recall David Jiricek

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The Columbus Blue Jackets announced a pair of roster moves this morning, placing defenseman Zach Werenski on injured reserve after sustaining a quad contusion in last night’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers on a hit from forward Garnet Hathaway, which resulted in a minor penalty and $5,000 fine. Werenski will miss between one and two weeks. In response, the team recalled top defense prospect David Jiricek from AHL Cleveland.

This continues to be a tough stretch of injury luck for Werenski, who missed the last 69 games of last season with a shoulder injury. Werenski skated 13:43 last night and recorded a -1 rating before exiting the game, which ended up being a 4-2 loss for Columbus in their home opener. It was the start of a four-game homestand for the Jackets, who don’t play on the road until October 21st at Minnesota.

It opens the door for Jiricek, the sixth-overall pick in 2022, to force his way onto the roster over the next few games. The Blue Jackets are reportedly shopping a defenseman to make room for Jiricek on the active roster, but a trade might now wait until later in the month with Werenski on the sidelines. Jiricek was one of the best rookies in the AHL last season, logging 38 points in 55 games for the Cleveland Monsters and earning a look in four NHL games with Columbus. He’s still looking for his first NHL point, however.

Columbus head coach Pascal Vincent confirmed earlier this morning that it wasn’t likely to be a long-term absence for Werenski, the team’s undisputed number-one defender. However, Jiricek, a right-shot defenseman, won’t be able to directly replace the role of Werenski, who plays on the left side. While Jiricek could get some significant minutes over the next few weeks, the most direct effect of this injury will be on offseason addition Ivan Provorov, who will now likely slide up to the top pairing alongside Damon Severson. Provorov had a tough outing against his former team last night, recording just two shot attempts and a -2 rating in over 25 minutes of ice time.

Morning Notes: Werenski, Johansson, Pietrangelo

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As reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Columbus Blue Jackets franchise defenseman Zach Werenski exited last night’s game after suffering a quad contusion. Werenski was injured on an apparent knee-to-knee collision with Philadelphia Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway, and Blue Jackets head coach Pascal Vincent told reporters that Werenski’s injury is not believed to be one that will cause a long-term absence.

This development is extremely unfortunate, as Werenski, 26, was limited to just 13 games played last season due to injury. Although this injury may not keep Werenski out “long-term,” it is not clear exactly when he’ll be able to return to the ice for Columbus. That alone is a major blow for the club, as Werenski is the best player in an organization dripping with desperation to return to the playoffs after a nightmarish 2022-23 campaign. In what is expected to be a cutthroat Metropolitan Division playoff race, the Blue Jackets will have to hope Werenski can return to full health quickly so they can avoid falling behind.

  • Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Johansson left last night’s season opener with an apparent injury after being “crumpled into the boards” by Florida Panthers rookie defenseman Uvis Balinskis. Per The Athletic’s Michael Russo, Wild head coach Dean Evason did not give any update on Johansson’s status postgame. Russo surmised that a Johansson absence might force the Wild to either run seven defensemen for their next game, swap Dakota Mermis off their roster for a cheap call-up from the AHL’s Iowa Wild, or play a man short.
  • Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo had a scary moment during last night’s season-opening victory against the San Jose Sharks, one where he took a Nic Hague shot up high. The result, as reported by The Athletic’s Jesse Granger, was that Pietrangelo was bleeding “a lot.” Granger adds that Pietrangelo was able to “skate off” the ice and “seemed fine” given the circumstances, so perhaps that painful moment from last night’s game won’t end up having any more lasting implications for Pietrangelo’s health.

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