Zach Werenski Suffers Short-Term Injury During Season Opener

Zach Werenski Did Not Return Against Flyers

Head Coach Pascal Vincent confirmed that Werenski’s quad contusion is not a long-term injury in the post-game press conference. Werenski has had an unlucky injury history throughout his career. He only appeared in 13 contests last season for the Columbus Blue Jackets due to a separated shoulder and torn labrum. In addition, an upper-body injury also occurred against the Flyers.

Unfortunately for Werenski, he received a nasty knee-on-knee check behind the net on the breakout from Garnet Hathaway. After swinging the puck up the boards, Hathaway came in to finish his check. Werenski attempted to lunge out of the way, leaving Hathaway to make contact with his right leg. Furthermore, Hathaway received a two-minute minor penalty for kneeing on the play.

The Blue Jackets Moving Forward

Luckily for the Blue Jackets, they spent a lot of assets on boosting the defensive core during the off-season. Columbus acquired both Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson via trade. Moreover, Frank Servalli noted that Columbus wants to move one of Adam Boqvist, Jake Bean, or Andrew Peeke. With Werenski ruled out of the lineup, the club will now have room to play Boqvist. He sat out against the Flyers on Thursday night. Giving Boqvist time in the lineup could boost his trade stock once Werenski returns from injury.

Additionally, the Blue Jackets have an up-and-coming 19-year-old defenceman. David Jiricek will start the season in the AHL. He was selected 6th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft. The injury to Werenski displays how important having depth outside the starting lineup is for NHL teams. Injuries are unpredictable, so teams need to adjust accordingly. Columbus will host the New York Rangers in their next contest on Saturday night.