Columbus NHL Blue Jackets sign Zach Werenski to 6-year & $57.5 million extension

COLUMBUS, Ohio The Columbus NHL Blue Jackets signed defenseman Zach Werenski on Thursday to a six-year & $57.5 million dollar contract extension through the 2027 season.
Werenski, 24, of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, and the University of Michigan, has 65 goals and 124 assists in 335 NHL career games, all with the Blue Jackets. He has four goals and nine assists in 29 playoff games.

“The city of Columbus has been so good to me, it’s close to my home and my family and when I thought about it, it was really clear,” Werenski said in a statement. “I’m a Blue Jacket. I want to stay a Blue Jacket and do everything I can to get a Stanley Cup here.”Werenski had seven goals and 20 assists in 35 games last season.

“Zach Werenski has been one of the best defenders in the National Hockey League for the past five years and we are excited to have him continue to be a Blue Jacket and the leader of our Blue Line for years to come,” General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen said in a statement. “As talented as Zach is and how much he has accomplished so early in his career, he is an even better person and will be a fundamental player for our club as we progress.”