Werenski expected to miss 5-6 months after shoulder surgery

Zach Werenski will be out until at least early October as he recovers from a shoulder procedure.

The Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman had surgery Thursday to repair an injured shoulder and his recovery is expected to take five-to-six months, the club revealed.

Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said Werenski has been dealing with the ailment since early this season, and the expectation is that the talented blue-liner will be ready to play by the start of next season or shortly thereafter.

Werenski ranked second only to defense partner Seth Jones among Blue Jackets in average ice time during the 2017-2018 regular season, logging 22:35 per game before the playoffs and bumping that up to 24:11 (fourth on the team) in the postseason.

He potted 16 goals and collected 37 points in 77 regular-season contests, chipping in a goal and three points in the Blue Jackets' six playoff games.