Columbus Blue Jackets rookie defenseman Zach Werenski will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a facial fracture, head coach John Tortorella announced Monday.
Werenski took a puck to the face in Game 3 on Sunday night, and after an attempt to come back, was forced to leave the contest for good due to impaired vision. To make matters worse, the Penguins scored mere seconds after he fell to the ice, bloodied as the result of a deflected Phil Kessel wrister.
Related: Werenski shares gruesome selfie after taking shot to face
How long the Blue Jackets will carry on without Werenski remains to be seen, as Columbus faces a 3-0 series deficit against Pittsburgh, with a possible sweep on the line Tuesday night.
The 19-year-old rearguard had a tremendous season with the Blue Jackets, constantly drawing praise from Tortorella, who admitted "Werenski's probably our best player," following the deflating Game 3 loss.
If he weren't competing against Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine, et al., Werenski would be a shoo-in for rookie of the year honors, as his debut NHL season saw him record 11 goals and 36 assists while averaging 20:55 of ice time in 78 games.
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