Zach Werenski sustains a minor injury. Elliotte Friedman said during Season Opener that Zach Werenski would be out for the foreseeable future after suffering an injury against the Philadelphia Flyers last night.
Werenski will not return due to a quad contusion, according to the Blue Jackets. He’s had enough bad luck with injuries. https://t.co/adGzlbd1U6
October 13, 2023 — Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC)
Zach Werenski Did Not Play Against the Flyers
In the post-game news conference, head coach Pascal Vincent verified that Werenski’s quad contusion is not a long-term ailment. Werenski has suffered a string of injuries during his career. Due to a separated shoulder and damaged labrum, he only played in 13 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets last season. In addition, against the Flyers, an upper-body injury happened.
Unfortunately for Werenski, Garnet Hathaway delivered a vicious knee-on-knee check behind the net on the breakout. Hathaway came in to finish his check after swinging the puck up the boards. Werenski attempted to leap out of the way, causing Hathaway to collide with his right leg. In addition, Hathaway was assessed a two-minute minor penalty for kneeing on the play.
The Blue Jackets’ Next Steps
Fortunately for the Blue Jackets, they spent a lot of money throughout the offseason to strengthen their defensive core. Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson were traded to Columbus. Furthermore, Columbus wants to sell one of Adam Boqvist, Jake Bean, or Andrew Peeke, according to Frank Servalli. With Werenski ruled out, the team will now have space to play Boqvist. On Thursday, he did not play against the Flyers. Allowing Boqvist to play might improve his trade value after Werenski recovers from injury.
In addition, the Blue Jackets have a promising 19-year-old defenseman. David Jiricek will begin the season with the American Hockey League. In the 2022 NHL Draft, he was chosen sixth overall. Werenski’s injury highlights the importance of having depth outside of the starting lineup for NHL teams. Because injuries are unexpected, teams must react accordingly. On Saturday night, Columbus will play host to the New York Rangers.
Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports contributed to the main image.
