Blue Jackets ink RFA defenceman Zach Werenski to a three-year contract

The Columbus Blue Jackets have avoided prolonging a contract dispute into the regular season with one of their key defenceman.

The team announced Monday that they have finally agreed to a contract with Zach Werenski. The deal is worth $15 million over a span of three years, which works out to an average annual value of $5 million.

The 22-year old, who was selected eigth overall in the 2015 NHL Draft, has accumulated 38 goals, 90 assists and a plus-13 rating over a span of three seasons and 237 games with the franchise.

The offensively gifted d-man has recorded at least 10 goals and 35 points in every single season to this point, and has surpassed 30 assists in two of those seasons.

The news comes less than a week after head coach John Tortorella said he would be “disgusted” if the negotiations bled into the season.