Zach Werenski just won the Norris Trophy. He just put up 80-plus points for the second time. And instead of celebrating, the Columbus Blue Jackets are trying to trade him. He already said no to one deal.
The team reportedly worked out a trade with the Dallas Stars that would have sent Werenski out of the Eastern Conference. Werenski killed it. He used his no-movement clause to block the move entirely, according to multiple reports.
Chris Johnston of The Athletic broke the news that Werenski was presented with a trade option and wasn’t interested. “Sources say Zach Werenski was presented with a trade option to a team he’s unwilling to waive his NMC for. His #CBJ situation seems to be devolving. Werenski never formally requested a trade, but has had honest talks about the future since April. Unclear where this goes next,” Johnston posted.
TSN’s Darren Dreger later identified the mystery team. “I believe Dallas was team that stepped up and presented a trade option CBJ was willing to work with. Sounds like Werenski’s preference is to stay east,” Dreger reported.
This is a messy spot for Columbus. Werenski has two years left on his contract. After this season, his no-movement clause drops to a 10-team no-trade list. The Blue Jackets were trying to get ahead of things. They wanted to move him now while the trade market was hot and his value was at an all-time high. Instead, they hit a wall.
It’s not like they didn’t try. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported that defenseman Thomas Harley would have been part of the package coming back from Dallas. That’s a solid return — a young top-four defenseman with upside. But none of it matters if Werenski won’t sign off.
And he won’t. At least not for Dallas. He wants to stay in the East, according to Dreger. That limits the Blue Jackets’ options significantly. A lot of contenders in the West could use a Norris-winning defenseman. Werenski just doesn’t want to go there.
Werenski has never formally demanded a trade. He’s had honest conversations with the front office since April about where this is heading. The situation is devolving, as Johnston put it. That’s a careful way of saying things aren’t getting better.
Columbus is basically stuck. They can wait and hope Werenski changes his mind about an extension. Or they can find a trade partner in the East who can put together a deal that makes sense. But the longer this drags out, the more leverage Werenski has. He knows it. The Blue Jackets know it too.
Werenski just turned in the best season of his career. He’s 28 years old. He’s a franchise defenseman. The only question is whether Columbus can turn that into a rebuild package before he walks for nothing.
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