The Columbus Blue Jackets have placed defenseman Zach Werenski on injured reserve and is expected to miss one to two weeks.
Werenski suffered a quad contusion in the team’s home opener against Philadelphia on Thursday. Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway was given a two-minute minor for kneeing Werenski with just over five minutes to go in the second. Werenski would not return to the contest.
It was his first game back since November after suffering a torn labrum and a separated shoulder. Werenski was limited to just 13 games. Philadelphia won the game 4-2.
Drafted eighth overall in 2015, Werenski has spent his entire NHL career with the Blue Jackets. He had a career-best 48 points in 2021-22, his last full NHL season to date. He was on pace to surpass the 50-point mark for the first time last year before suffering his season-ending injuries. Werenski burst onto the scene in 2016-17, recording 47 points in 78 games. He’s a four-time 40-plus-point producer, making him a valuable piece of the team’s core.
Werenski is under contract with the Blue Jackets through 2028 at a $9.583 million cap hit. Through 416 career games with the Blue Jackets, Werenski has collected 79 goals and 245 points, and another 13 points in 29 playoff contests.
In Werenski’s absence, the club called up top prospect David Jiricek from the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. Drafted sixth overall in 2022, Jiricek played four NHL games with Columbus last year as the team battled through blueliner injuries. Jiricek was a standout in the AHL with Cleveland, recording 38 points in 55 games as a rookie. He also helped Czechia take silver at the World Juniors with seven points through seven contests.
Jiricek was Daily Faceoff’s ninth-ranked NHL-affiliated prospect heading into the 2023-24 season.
The Blue Jackets will welcome the New York Rangers to town on Saturday evening before facing off against Detroit on Monday. They’ll have a few days off before taking on Calgary on Friday, Oct. 20, helping limit the games Werenski will miss.
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