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Who is the player to watch against the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final wild card spot?

Zach Werenski is widely considered to be the Blue Jackets' player to watch for Columbus's franchise. Let's break down how he could impact the New York Rangers on ice and what to look out for in the Saturday night matchup.
ByJennifer Streeter|
Columbus Blue Jackets v New York Rangers
Columbus Blue Jackets v New York Rangers | Bruce Bennett/GettyImages

With 17 games to play and the New York Rangers tied with the Blue Jackets for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, the stakes have never been higher for the Blueshirts.

For those living under a rock — the Blue Jackets and Blueshirts are tied with 70 points going into Saturday’s encounter at Nationwide Arena, and whoever wins the contest will leave the arena in the prime position for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

In order for the Rangers to claim that spot they will have to shut out defenseman Zach Werenski who is obviously the opposing team's player to watch ahead of the March 15th matchup.

Zach Werenski

The 27-year-old Blue Jacket was named to the United States roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off during a 2024-25 season in which he blossomed into becoming one of the top defensemen in the NHL. He lead the Columbus Blue Jackets in scoring after 55 games with a new single-season Blue Jackets record at his position of 59 points. The prior season, his 46 assists passed the team record by a defenseman of 44 set all the way back in 2013-14.

The Michigan native is currently the team-leader with 69 points. He boasts 20 goals and 49 assists, with the assists also leading the team in that same category. When he was last marked as a player to watch, he had 46 assists and 20 goals.

Werenski most recently tallied an assist for one point against New Jersey on Tuesday in a 5-3 win for the Devils.

After finishing his sophomore season at Michigan, Werenski signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Blue Jackets on March 29, 2016. Werenski has now signed a three-year, $15 million contract with the Blue Jackets on Sept. 9, 2019.

How to Tune In

NHL fans can watch the New York Rangers (32-28-6) take on the Blue Jackets (31-26-8) at 7 p.m. EST at the Nationwide Arena. The matchup is available via FanDuel Sports Network and the FanDuel Sports Network app; be sure to tune into Blue Line Station's Twitter for live updates.

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