8 Zach Werenski D

Werenski put up 41 points in 63 games prior to the league suspending play in mid-March.

The blueliner's return to the 40-plus-point plateau shouldn't come as much of a surprise, as Werenski has now achieved that feat in three of his four NHL campaigns. What really stands out are his 20 goals, which are tops among all NHL defensemen and a notable uptick from his previous career-best 16 (in 14 additional games) back in 2017-18. The 22-year-old has also received a career high in even-strength and power-play ice time (23:59 and 2:44), which furthers his status as one of the game's top back-end fantasy assets -- not to mention the fact that he's now the clear-cut preferred option in Columbus ahead of Seth Jones.

Werenski pocketed an assist and fired a team-high eight shots on goal in Saturday's 4-1 loss to the Oilers.

Werenski set up Gustav Nyquist on a breakaway for the Blue Jackets' only goal of the game. The 22-year-old defenseman has posted two goals and three assists in his last six outings. Werenski is up to 20 goals, 41 points, 187 shots and a plus-9 rating through 62 appearances this season.

Werenski scored a goal on four shots and had an assist in Sunday's 5-3 win over the Canucks.

Werenski is up to 40 points and needs just eight more to surpass his previous career high, set in his rookie season. The 23-year-old also moved to within two points of tying his power-play point total from a year ago (15). Columbus will now hit the road for three games out west beginning with the Flames on Wednesday.

Werenski scored a goal on five shots in Tuesday's 5-4 loss to Minnesota. He also logged a team-leading 26:41 of ice time.

Werenski tallied his first goal in the last five games, scoring with 3:06 remaining in regulation to pull the Blue Jackets to within 5-4. The goal was Werenski's 19th of the season, extending his career high, and gave him 38 points in 58 games. He can still challenge the career-high 47 points he had as a rookie in 2016-17.

Werenski posted an assist, four shots on goal and two blocked shots in Monday's 4-3 overtime win over the Senators.

Werenski's shot produced a rebound in overtime, leading to the winning tally from Emil Bemstrom. In February, Werenski has three goals and four helpers in 13 games. He's averaged nearly 25 minutes per outing, which helps to fill the void left by Seth Jones (ankle). Werenski has 37 points, 166 shots, 53 blocks and a plus-10 rating in 57 contests this season.

Werenski scored a goal on a team-leading seven shots in Sunday's 4-3 shootout loss to New Jersey.

Werenski was a workhorse for Columbus, as per usual, logging a team-high 26:54 of playing time and leading all players in shots on goal. When he lit the lamp just over six minutes into the game, it was Werenski's 18th goal of the season, extending his franchise record for defensemen. He's shooting a career-best 12.0 percent and boasts 35 points in 53 games.

Werenski scored the game-winning goal in Friday's 2-0 victory over the Red Wings.

His second-period tally was all the offense Elvis Merzlikins would need on the night. Werenski's goal gives him 17 on the season, setting a new franchise record for defensemen -- a record he jointly held with Seth Jones when they both lit the lamp 16 times in 2017-18 -- and his 33 points in 48 games has the 23-year-old on pace for the first 50-point campaign of his career.

Werenski scored his 16th goal of the season in overtime Tuesday to give the Blue Jackets a 1-0 win over the Panthers.

The tally tied Werenski's previous career high, while also ending a dazzling goaltending duel between former Columbus starter Sergei Bobrovsky and new rookie starter Elvis Merzlikins. Werenski has been rolling over the last month, scoring five goals and nine points in his last 13 games, and as long as the 23-year-old stays healthy he seems headed towards a big finish to the campaign.

Werenski posted an assist, four shots on goal and a plus-2 rating in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Canadiens.

The 22-year-old has assists in three of his last five games. For the season, Werenski is at 15 goals, 16 helpers, 125 shots and a plus-10 rating in 46 contests. The defenseman is on pace to produce 45 points, with an outside chance at 50 if he goes on a scoring binge.

Werenski notched a power-play assist, two shots on goal and a plus-2 rating in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Jets.

Werenski had the secondary helper on Gustav Nyquist's second-period goal. The 22-year-old blueliner has been limited to two assists in seven games since his five-game, seven-goal binge came to an end. For the season, he's at 30 points (11 on the power play), 119 shots on goal and a plus-8 rating in 44 contests.

Werenski scored a pair of goals in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Ducks.

The blueliner pumped six shots on goal and blocked two shots. Werenski has seven goals and a helper in his last five games. With 15 tallies this season, he passed Dougie Hamilton and Roman Josi for the goal-scoring lead among blueliners. Werenski's stat line features 28 points, 99 shots and 10 power-play points through 37 outings.

Werenski notched an assist in Monday's 4-2 win over the Kings.

The defenseman has been resurgent with seven goals and three assists over his last nine games. Werenski has 26 points and 93 shots in 36 contests this season, but a career-high 14 percent success rate on his shots seems to be fueling the surge. That lofty mark is bound to come down eventually, but it shouldn't hinder the 22-year-old's ability to reach the 40-point mark for the third time in four NHL seasons.

Werenski scored two goals on five shots while adding two hits and a plus-2 rating in Saturday's 3-2 loss to the Sharks.

Both goals were scored in similar fashion, as Werenski swooped down from the point to corral a loose puck and fire it behind Aaron Dell, but the Jackets couldn't muster any other offense. The 22-year-old has been on fire since returning to action from an upper-body injury in mid-December, scoring seven goals and nine points in the last eight games.

Werenski scored three goals on six shots and was plus-3 in a 4-1 win over Florida on Tuesday.

Werenski was a one-man wrecking crew for the Blue Jackets, opening the scoring in the first period and tallying twice in the final frame. It was his first NHL hat trick and all three goals came at even strength. The 22-year-old is on his way to the most productive season of his young career, collecting 11 goals and 23 points in 33 games, despite missing a two-week stretch in December due to a shoulder injury.

Werenski scored a goal and added an assist in Thursday's 3-2 overtime win over the Kings.

The goal came on the power play, where he can be dominant. Get Werenski back in your lineup if he's been on the bench or IR. He has 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in 28 games.

Werenski (shoulder) was taken off injured reserve and will be in the lineup against Detroit on Tuesday.

Werenski was originally expected to on the shelf for four weeks but returns after just a little over two. The 22-year-old figures to resume logging over 22 minutes of ice time per game and should retake his spot on the power play as well. With the man advantage, the blueliner notched seven of his 16 points this season and should be a top-end fantasy option moving forward.

The Blue Jackets placed Werenski (shoulder) on injured reserve Friday.

Werenski isn't expected to return until late December at the earliest, so this announcement doesn't come as a surprise. Dean Kukan is expected to take on a larger role while Werenski, who's notched six goals and 16 points in 26 games this campaign, is on the shelf.

Werenski (shoulder) will be out for four weeks.

Werenski exited Saturday's game against the Islanders after running into the Blue Jackets' net and didn't return. The injury is significant, and while the four-week timetable is approximate, he's not expected to return until Dec. 29 against the Blackhawks. The 22-year-old blueliner has accrued six goals and 16 points -- seven on the power play -- through 26 games, and Ryan Murray stands to be the top left-handed defenseman in his stead.

Werenski (upper body) left Saturday's game against the Islanders and will not return.

Werenski appeared to hurt his shoulder while colliding into the Blue Jackets' net in the first period. It remains to be seen how significant the injury is, but it did not look good when it happened and could force Werenski to miss time. Columbus' next game is Tuesday at home against the Coyotes.

Werenski picked up a power-play assist and two shots on goal in Friday's 5-2 win over the Penguins.

The assist was Werenski's 100th in his career, and 10th this season. He's at 16 points in 25 contests -- seven of which have come on the power play. It's been a productive November for the blueliner, who has three goals and seven helpers in 13 games.