Exit interviews are always interesting. Players speak after their season ends, and for the Chicago Blackhawks, it was in a disappointing fashion after the season they endured. Sometimes, players talk for nearly half an hour and say many things that may fly over people’s heads because only a few quotes get the most attention. For defenseman Seth Jones, his exit interview caused an online frenzy with opinions on the context of how he views the state of the team, so much so that it took away from all the thoughtful things he shared. For example, I noticed things he said about rookie defense partner Alex Vlasic that should have gotten the spotlight.
When asked about the excitement for what’s coming for the defense and speaking on Vlasic, Jones said, “Vlasy [Alex Vlasic], you know, playing with him all year, just tremendous steps. I mean, I played with [Zach] Werenski when he was 21-years-old, and, you know, they’re different players, but you see the same stuff you’re seeing there. I am, personally.”
Frankly, this may have cracked a code for the Blackhawk’s future success, and I’ll explain why.
The Jones and Werenski Playbook
A lot of hockey fans may remember Jones’ time with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was there for six years before getting traded to the Hawks in 2021, and that period was significant because he played some of his best hockey there. He had the best season of his career in 2017-18, with 57 points in 78 games and finishing fourth in the Norris Trophy voting. For Werenski, he was a Calder Trophy finalist in 2017, and they became the team’s go-to pairing. As they went, Columbus went.
It makes you wonder why they worked so well together, so I contacted my Blue Jackets colleague, Mark Scheig, and asked him to give me the 4-1-1 on Werenski’s game. He replied, “Werenski is known as a puck-moving, offense-first defenseman who has improved defensively. Smooth skater. High IQ player. He and Jones were perfect for each other since Jones could cover for him early in his career. Werenski is good at finding his shot and is not afraid to drive the net.”
At first, I had a hard time relating that description to Alex Vlasic since he is more of a defensive defenseman, and Werenski is more offensive-minded. You could take similarities in good puck movement for both players. However, I realized now that the correlation is less about on-ice play and more about off-ice.
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