Zach Werenski Gets Massive Deal to Stay With Blue Jackets

As Chris Johnston notes, the top AAV’s for NHL blueliners in 2022-23 are as follows:

• $11.5M — Erik Karlsson
• $11M — Drew Doughty
• *$9.583M — Zach Werenski
• *$9.5M — Seth Jones
• $9.059 — Roman Josi
• *$9M — Dougie Hamilton
• *$9M — Cale Makar
• $8.8M — Alex Pietrangelo
• *$8.45M — Miro Heiskanen

Essentially, Werenski is being paid as though he’s the third-best NHL defenseman. He is a quality offensive defenceman who scores a lot of goals. That said, it’s hard to argue he’s even close to the third-best defenseman in the league. He can be dangerous and productive at times, while having a strong transition game. Still, this is a big overpayment.

In his defense, Werenski has played 335 games and recorded 65 goals and 189 points. Few defensemen can boast those kinds of numbers. He played a career-high 24:22 time on ice per game this year.

The idea here is that the Blue Jackets send a message that there is a very talented player eager to stick with the team. While some will say the money is the reason, Werenski has demonstrated a willingness to stick to the hockey club, especially since his deal has trade protection worked in.

The breakdown is as follows:

2022-23: $2MM SB, $8MM salary
2023-24: $2MM SB, $10MM salary
2024-25: $2MM SB, $9.5MM salary
2025-26: $2MM SB, $7.5MM salary
2026-27: $6.25MM SB, $1MM salary
2027-28: $6.25MM SB, $1MM salary