COLUMBUS, OHIO
“Zach Werenski is a tremendous young man and a very talented player who is going to be an important part of our organization for many years and we’re excited about him taking this first step in his professional career,” said Kekalainen.
Werenski, 18, registered 11 goals and 25 assists for 36 points with 20 penalty minutes and a +5 plus/minus rating in 36 games at the University of Michigan this season. The sophomore led all Big Ten and was second nationally in scoring by a defenseman, was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a First Team All-Big Ten selection and led the Wolverines to the Big Ten tournament title and a berth in the NCAA tournament.