With training camp and the exhibition season only days away, the Columbus Blue Jackets have just locked up defenseman Zach Werenski to a 3-year, $15 Million contract, a $5 Million AAV. This is an absolute steal for one of the best young defensemen in the NHL.
Werenski's new deal will run through the 2021-2022 season, at which point, Werenski would still be a Restricted Free Agent, but will be eligible for arbitration, which will be a good bargaining chip on his next deal. The club will not want to risk losing the young rearguard to Free Agency and should want to lock him up to a long-term deal while still in his prime.
The 22-year-old Werenski has amassed 128 points in 237 NHL games, 38 of which were goals, which ranks 9th in the NHL for goals by a defensemen since the '16-'17 season.
This signing should invigorate a Columbus Blue Jackets team who lost Matt Duchene, Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky to Free Agency this off-season. This is definitely a club that needed good news, and with Werenski locked up for 3 more years, the Jackets can focus on playing hockey and rebuilding around a strong core of young defensemen in Werenski, Jones, Murray, Savard and Nutivaara.
There is another piece of good news in Columbus. John Tortorella can now enter camp without feeling "disgusted", as there are no RFA's left to sign and he will have a full roster at camp this week.
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