Zach Werenski may not have won the first Norris Trophy in Columbus Blue Jackets history this season, but his time will come.
Werenski Making Franchise History
Werenski already made history this season, becoming the first Blue Jackets’ defenseman to be named a finalist for the Norris after undoubtedly the best season of his career. Spending most of his time alongside Dante Fabbro, the 27-year-old reached a level we had never seen from him before. Although he’s been a phenomenal defenseman throughout much of his career, he’s now entered the conversation of an “elite defenseman.”
While the Blue Jackets are looking to lock down his defensive partner Fabbro, Werenski is still under contract with the organization for three more seasons at a hefty $9.5 million per season. This season though, he showed that he’s far from overpaid. He finished at more than a point-per-game clip with 82 points in 81 games, which was also enough to lead the team (Kirill Marchenko was second with 74 points.) That type of offensive production isn’t overly common for defensemen, with only a few accomplishing it each season.
Werenski ultimately finished second in Norris Trophy voting behind the winner, Cale Makar. Makar, who won his second-career Norris, finished the season with dominant offensive numbers, crossing the 30-goal plateau for the first time in his career and finishing with 92 points in 80 games. The fact that Werenski was in the same conversation as a generational talent such as Makar proves he’s a top defenseman in the NHL at this point in time.
Werenski’s Record-Breaking Season
While Werenski didn’t have as dominant of an offensive performance as Makar, he did hit a couple of key milestones and even broke some franchise records along the way. He posted the most points for a defenseman in club history with 82, and the number also tied him for the second-highest overall point total in a season (only Artemi Panarin recorded more with 87 in 2018-19.)
Speaking of Panarin, Werenski also tied the former Blue Jackets winger for the most assists in a season with 59. On top of that, he broke his own record as well. In the 2019-20 season, Werenski scored 20 goals — the most by a defenseman in team history — and this season, he scored 23.
At the end of the season, Werenski was named to the NHL’s First All-Star Team, joining Sergei Bobrovsky as the only Blue Jackets to ever receive that particular honor. Only four Blue Jackets have been named to a postseason All-Star team in general, with Steve Mason and Seth Jones getting Second All-Star Team honors in the past.
Even Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell didn’t see this type of performance coming, telling Kristen Shilton of ESPN, “”I’d be lying if I said I thought Werenski would be having this good of a year. We were hoping he could. Now it’s happening. The way he’s playing and carrying our team, without him, I don’t know where we’d be.”
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Werenski’s importance to the Blue Jackets is also seen off the ice; he’s a key figure in the community which is why he was also nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy this season. The organization recognized him as their Community MVP for the third time citing “his unwavering dedication to making a meaningful impact in the central Ohio community.”
While Werenski didn’t walk away with any hardware at the 2025 NHL Awards, his performance remains one of — iff not the best — by a skater in Blue Jackets history. Moreover, he turned himself into a household name around the NHL and showed he’s worth every penny of his massive contract. With his name now alongside those of Makar, Quinn Hughes, and the rest of the NHL’s elite defensemen, it’s safe to say that hardware, in one form or another, is on the horizon for Zach Werenski.
