The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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— is not long for college hockey. He will have the opportunity to turn pro after this season and will likely take it. "Can Werenski go play in Colum- bus' top six right now? I don't think there's any question that he can," said Dave Starman, who was the NHL Network's television analyst during the World Junior tournament. "His performance at the World Ju- niors showed what he can do at the next level. But to go back and fin- ish his season at Michigan is a smart idea. "He gets to work with [volunteer assistant coach] Mike Komisarek on a daily basis, a guy that had a long NHL career as a defenseman and can continue to develop him. "He has a great coaching staff with Red Berenson, and [assistants] Billy Powers and Brian Wiseman, and he's in a great playing atmosphere so why leave right now? "He's controlling his own destiny, doing it on his terms, and he's smart enough to know the moment he's ready, Columbus will show up on his doorstep with a contract and a thank you." Werenski was named the top de- fenseman at the World Junior Cham- pionships, leading the U.S. to a bronze medal. In seven games, he recorded two goals and seven assists, leading the tournament's defensive field in points (ranking seventh among all skaters), while he had the top plus/minus at plus-10. "I am not the only one that thinks this — he was the best defenseman at the World Junior Championships, hands down," Starman said. "His game is as good as it's been since I've been watching him. It's fluid, it's composed; he has hockey sense in all three zones. He shows an ability to make plays, an ability to score and an ability to defend. And he's shown leadership." A SPECIAL TALENT RIGHT FROM THE START Michigan first began recruiting Werenski when he was 14 years old, skating alongside future U-M team- mates Dylan Larkin (now a rookie for the Detroit Red Wings) and Kyle Connor (a current freshman) for the Belle Tire Tier 1 Under-16 team. A year later, Werenski was playing for the Little Caesars Under-18 team at just 15 years of age. Throughout his hockey career he has played "up" in age, going through his entire freshman season at Michigan a 17-year-old — he didn't turn 18 until this past July. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, Werenski has developed a unique maturity in his game. He sees the ice like an NHL veteran, playing with patience in the offensive zone that can be unsettling for opponents rely- ing on their instincts. "I know that if I'm patient, an op- portunity will unfold," Werenski said. "A lot of guys are in a hurry with the puck and they're always attacking, but then they might lose the puck or force something that's not there. "But if you sit back and hold onto it, it gives your teammates a chance to find soft spots and it forces the op- ponent to make decisions, and when