The Columbus Blue Jackets and defenseman Zach Werenski have agreed to a six-year contract extension worth $57.5 million, the team announced on Thursday.
"The city of Columbus has been so good to me, it's close to home and my family and as I thought about it, it was really a no-brainer," Werenski said. "I'm a Blue Jacket. I want to continue to be a Blue Jacket and do everything I can to bring a Stanley Cup here."
Werenski, 24, registered 20 points (seven goals, 13 assists) in 2020-21. He was drafted by the Blue Jackets in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft and would go on to set the franchise record for points by a rookie in 2016-17 with 47 (11 goals, 36 assists). He was named to the All-Rookie team and named a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy that same season.
Why the Blue Jackets made this deal
Aaron Portzline, Blue Jackets beat writer: Getting Werenski signed is a big deal on two levels. First, he's the kind of high-octane offensive defenseman that every club craves in today's NHL. Since his NHL debut at the start of the 2016-17 season, only Brent Burns (76) and Dougie Hamilton (72) have scored more goals that Werenski (65).
The second reason may carry even more weight, especially given all the unfortunate news that's come Columbus' way in recent seasons. Some of the most talented players in the history of the organization has left Columbus, but Werenski represents a young player giving up (five) UFA years to say put. After Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky, Matt Duchene, Cam Atkinson and Seth Jones, it was important for GM Jarmo Kekalainen to stop the bleeding.
Assessing the contract
Portzline: Is this a big deal? Oh, my. It's a big deal. But defenseman who provide offense are extremely expensive, so there's no surprise that Werenski broke the bank.
The six-year, $57.5 million contract carries a $9.583 salary-cap hit. (We're still waiting on the year-by-year breakdown.) That gives Werenski the third-highest salary-cap hit among defensemen in the NHL, trailing only San Jose's Erik Karlsson ($11.5M) and Los Angeles' Drew Doughty ($11M).
Another interesting note: It puts Werenski just a touch ahead of the deal his former teammate Jones ($9.5M) signed with Chicago after the Blue Jackets traded him there last week.
What's next on Columbus' to-do list?
Portzline: The Blue Jackets have been among the busiest clubs in the NHL in recent weeks, making two huge trades (Jones and Atkinson) and signing a bevy of contracts, none bigger than Werenski's.
GM Jarmo Kekalainen is still looking for a right-side defenseman in free agency, however. Earlier in the week, he indicated that he'd like it to be a player with size, or one that plays a physical game. It'll likely be a second- or third-pair defenseman.
The Blue Jackets also have one prominent player who needs a new contract: young defenseman Andrew Peeke, a restricted free agent.
