The Columbus Blue Jackets‘ Zach Werenski is a 21 year old defenseman. With that being said, he’s bound to make mistakes as he develops into a superstar defenseman in the NHL. The last thing Jarmo Kekalainen wants to do is make the mistake that the Minnesota Wild did with Brent Burns, who also was a young defenseman when he was traded to the San Jose Sharks.
Defensemen typically don’t reach their prime until later than forwards, and it’s rare for a defenseman at Werenski’s age to even be in the NHL let alone three seasons into their career.