He went further when asked whether fans should still be fretting about where things stand with the club.

“I’d stop fretting about it,” he said. “Obviously I have two years left and I’ve been here for a very long time. I think everyone knows how much I love this city and how much it means to me, and I would have no issues being here for an even longer time. I want to see us in the playoffs and I want to see us make progress and I feel like we’ve done that. I think winning solves everything.”

Summer Got Bigger Than Intended

Werenski described the past few months as “a little bit crazy” and something neither he nor Waddell had planned on reaching the level it did. He said the last two seasons — both ending with the team so close to the playoffs but falling short — left a bitter taste. That frustration, combined with the sudden swirl of external noise, created a stretch that felt misconstrued from his perspective.

“It was tough for about a week there,” Werenski admitted. “I’ve always been on the other side of it where I read what people write. It was my first time kind of being on the other side of it, and a lot of the stuff I was kind of learning for the first time reading it. The stuff I didn’t really know about or hear about, I felt like it was kind of misconstrued a little bit on how I felt or where I was at.”

“In saying that, I feel like people have jobs to do and they’re getting their information from somewhere but definitely wasn’t from me.”

Werenski emphasized that the conversations he had with Waddell throughout the summer remained positive, even as outside chatter intensified. Once both sides released public statements, Werenski said the situation stabilized. He saw Waddell again Thursday morning and described their relationship as “great.”

All About Winning

Werenski returned again and again to the same point. He is not interested in revisiting the speculation. He is interested in raising the standard inside the Blue Jackets locker room and getting the team back into the playoffs.

“I fully plan on doing that this year,” Werenski said. “Being an even better player, better leader, better person for my teammates and for this club. Hopefully that just means I’m here even longer. After today my focus is fully on our team winning. I’m not going to answer questions about my future. That’s why today is so important to kind of get these out of the way. But when I come to camp, I think all my teammates and everyone know how committed I am. I’m just excited to get back at it with them.”

Werenski made clear that the desire to stay in Columbus has been consistent since the season ended. The conversations with Waddell, he said, never suggested otherwise from his side.

“At the end of the day, this is where I wanted to be, and I think I showed that. And I continue to show that this season. Try to be the best player I can be.”

The Pain of Last Season

The late-season freefall still sits with Werenski. He did not soften the self-criticism when asked what went wrong after the team climbed from the bottom of the East to second in the Metro before collapsing.

“It starts with us leaders,” Werenski said. “I definitely don’t think we dragged enough guys into the fight. I feel like on certain nights when it wasn’t going well, we didn’t have enough push, and I feel like that starts with the older guys. It’s not for lack of effort or try. I just feel like there’s other way to get your group going.”

“I went home, I looked myself in the mirror and know I have to be better. I didn’t produce down the stretch. Even games I felt like I played pretty good, the puck wasn’t going in…In those situations it’s on us older guys, us leaders, to find a way to get the best out of our group.”