Blue Jackets Defenseman Named First Star of Week

A Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman was named the NHL's First Star of the Week.

Oct 26, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (8) bring the puck over the blue line in overtime against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Casey Gower-Imagn Images / Casey Gower-Imagn Images

The Columbus Blue Jackets are surprising the entire NHL as they ghave an even record of 9-9-2 through the first 20 games. Contenders they are not, but they are certainly better than expected in 2024.

The Blue Jackets are riding the play of their top defenseman and player Zach Werenski to make this all happen. His last week of play especially has been All-Star worthy, and the league took notice. The NHL named Werenski the league's First Star for the week ending November 24th.

Werenski was an absolute monster over the past week for the Jackets. The team won all three games the played in and Werenski registered at least a point in each contest. In total, he scored seven points over a perfect week for Columbus.

The highlight of Werenski's week came in a showdown agains the Tampa Bay Lightning. Skating a team high 27 minutes of ice-time, Werenski registered two goals and three assists to finish the game with a career-high five points. He tied the Blue Jackets' franchise record for points in a single game and became the first Blue Jackets defender to record five points in a single game.

Werenski has been with the Blue Jackets since the team selected him with the eighth overall pick of the 2015 NHL Draft. The 27-year-old has accumulated 506 NHL games over his career so far, recording 96 goals, 226 assists, and 322 career points.

Through the first 20 games of the season, Werenski is having the best start of his career. He's averaging a point per game, with six goals and 14 assists. He is leading the Blue Jackets in ice-time, assists, and points this season as the team continues to battle for a playoff position within the Metropolitan Division

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