Werenski back from injury, back with Jones
OTTAWA — Seth Jones got his buddy back.
One of the top young defensive combos in the NHL was together once more on Friday night as Zach Werenski returned to the Blue Jackets lineup and was reunited with Jones.
The two defensemen have basically been partners since Werenski was a rookie last season.
Although there was speculation that coach John Tortorella might tinker with the defensive pairings because Jones and Markus Nutivaara were playing so well together, he quashed those thoughts and said when Werenski returned from injury that he would be going back with Jones.
“I haven’t had another D-partner since I came into the NHL. It has always been Seth,” Werenski said Friday before scoring the Blue Jackets’ final goal in a 5-4 loss at the Ottawa Senators.
“This is what I’m used to. I played with a couple different guys when he was hurt last year, but other than that, he has been my main partner since I got into the league. I’m comfortable with him and I think he’s comfortable with me. We work well together, have a ton of fun on the ice.”
A few weeks back, Tortorella was asked if he planned on splitting up his two high-end defensemen. Some surmised that the two could help the defense more if they were put with different partners, but Tortorella scoffed at the notion.
“I’m not splitting them up,” Tortorella said. “They determine too much of the pace of the game for us to split them. They control games for us.”
Tortorella said Jones and Werenski have no problem logging heavy minutes. In Werenski’s return Friday, the two skated on 28 shifts and both closed in on 24 minutes of ice time.
“I’m ready to play, ready to go,” Werenski said of not easing his way back into the lineup.
The success of the Jones-Nutivaara pairing, however, could give Tortorella and the Jackets pause. Jones said Werenski and Nutivaara are aggressive players who are great skaters and can move the puck, which made life a bit easier.
“The transition, at least for me, was pretty seamless,” Jones said of being paired up with Nutivaara. “I hope Nutivaara felt the same. We had some good minutes, I think we both enjoyed playing with each other because we both understood what we were trying to do. We didn’t surprise each other with anything.”
Jones joked before Friday’s game that he didn’t know who his defensive partner would be, although it seemed he had a pretty good clue he and Werenski were getting back together.
“It’s nice having him back. We definitely missed him,” said Jones, who was the fourth overall pick by Nashville in the 2013 draft. Werenski was eighth in 2015 out of Michigan.
“Whether I’m playing with Zach or not, he’s a player who is going to make an impact. … We have had some pretty good success so far. We’re not perfect, but at the same time, we’re aggressive and have similar styles.
“It’s a treat playing with him.”