Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella does not want to see Zach Werenski miss any part of training camp as the defenceman continues to negotiate a new contract with the team.

Werenski is one of several high-profile restricted free agents who remain unsigned around the league this summer and Tortorella said told The Athletic he'd be "disgusted" if the defenceman is absent when camp opens this month.

"I’d be terribly disappointed. I’m not involved in the business part of it. But for a young man to miss one minute of camp - and I’ve said this with (Josh Anderson) - it disgusts me," Tortorella said. "That guy there, Werenski, the way he has evolved here. He has shown so much determination, so much more confidence and attention to detail playing defence without it really affecting his offensive game. He has really grown as a player. I just don’t want him to miss a beat here. I won’t be disappointed, I’ll be disgusted."

Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said last month that Werenski wants to sign with the team before camp opens. The Columbus Dispatch reported that the 22-year-old is looking for a three-year deal with an average annual value above $5 million. He is the team's lone remaining restricted free agent and the Blue Jackets still have $15.76 million in cap space, according to CapFriendly.

The team underwent significant changes in the off-season with Artemi Panarin, Matt Duchene and Sergei Bobrovsky all electing to leave in free agency and Tortorella said the Blue Jackets, who swept the Presidents' Trophy-winning Tampa Bay Lightning in the first-round of the playoffs, will be forced to adapt to the losses.

"We’re going to have to change our style. We’re going to have to be more of a team," Tortorella said. "We were a team, but now we’re really going to have to concentrate on grinding our way sometimes to find ways to score goals because we’ve lost a lot of goals. We have two young goalies that we don’t know about. We started that (a new style of play) in the playoffs. We did. Our style of play changed in the playoffs when we entered against Tampa, and I watched our team buy into it. I loved the way we bought into it."

Tortorella said that Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins will form the team's goaltending duo this season, with Korpisalo having the inside look at the starting job.

"I come into camp knowing Korpi better. I know he is a better goalie when he gets more work, not sporadic work," Tortorella explained. "I know Korpi has shown up for us in playing every three weeks and he hasn’t pissed and moaned. He’s worked. His work ethic has improved. I know him better (than Elvis). I hear things about this guy (Elvis), that he supposed to be a really good goalie. I hear things about his personality. Korpi’s kind of a weird duck, too, ya know. I love his personality. So bring it on. Do I give Korpi a leg up? I guess I do because I know him better."

The Blue Jackets will open the pre-season on Sept. 17 against the Buffalo Sabres.