COLUMBUS, Ohio _ Columbus' uphill climb back into its first-round playoff series got even steeper Monday, when Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella announced that rookie defenseman Zach Werenski will not play again this season.
Werenski, one of the NHL's top first-year players, sustained a facial fracture when a Phil Kessel shot rode up the shaft of his stick and smacked him under the right eye during the Penguins' 5-4 overtime victory in Game 3 Sunday.
Werenski left the game for medical treatment but later returned, only to sit out the overtime because severe swelling prevented him from seeing out of his right eye.
After the game, Werenski posted a photo of his face on social media, showing the gruesome swelling and discoloration cause by the puck.
Werenski scored a power-play goal in the first period of Game 1 and established himself as a core player for the Blue Jackets at age 19.
Columbus, with good reason, expects him to be a difference-maker for a lot of years.
"He is on a fast-track path to be one of the mainstays in this league," Tortorella said.
