Zach Werenski's now on the path to becoming the next captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets, and it’s no longer just a formality.

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman raised the question on a recent edition of 32 Thoughts, just a few days after longtime captain Boone Jenner left for the Washington Capitals in free agency.

And it’s only been a few weeks since Werenski was pulled into trade speculation. The Blue Jackets now have to decide if they should move ahead with their original plan.

Jenner's departure this summer left Columbus without a captain for the first time in years. Despite that, Werenski, who’s the reigning Norris Trophy winner, had been viewed as the natural choice.

Friedman said that assumption was never really in doubt internally, but now Werenski is connected to trade talks with the Dallas Stars earlier this offseason. This was before he used his no-trade protection to reject the move, choosing to stay in Columbus.

"I think the plan was always to make Zach Werenski the next captain; what are you gonna do now, are you still gonna do it, or are you gonna kind of wait to see how it plays out?" Friedman said, as per a post on X by @NHLRumourReport.

Werenski is signed till the 2027-28 season on a six-year, $57.5 million extension. This means the Blue Jackets were never under pressure to move him for salary-cap reasons. There were conversations about his long-term fit rather than any financial need to deal with him.

Werenski was clear about wanting to remain with Columbus, and there has been no indication from the team that the plans about captaincy have been discarded. Still, Friedman's framing suggests the front office may be more careful about its approach before making it official.

Werenski’s Decade of Achievement in Columbus

Werenski's case for the captaincy is built on the contribution he has made for more than a decade.

He was drafted eighth overall in 2015, when he joined the Blue Jackets organization after a standout run at the University of Michigan. He even helped the team's American Hockey League affiliate win a Calder Cup. 

And then he went on to make his NHL debut in October 2016. He finished in third place in Calder Trophy voting as a rookie and has served as an alternate captain since the 2021-22 season.

The veteran defenseman won the James Norris Memorial Trophy this year as the NHL's top defenseman. He became the first player in franchise history to do this. He then followed back-to-back 80-point seasons, including 81 points this past year.

He now ranks as the franchise's all-time leader in assists and second in career points behind Rick Nash. 

Across ten NHL seasons, all spent with Columbus, Werenski has scored 135 goals and 330 assists for 465 points. That leaves him roughly 80 points behind Nash's franchise scoring record. 

Werenski also won Olympic gold with Team USA at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games. Despite the individual achievements, he has yet to win a playoff series title or a Stanley Cup with Columbus.

Read more at NHL Fan Central!

Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Kaamna Dwivedi