Zach Werenski: Future, Trade Rumours and What the Blue Jackets Could Do Next

Zach Werenski

Zach Werenski remains the centre of speculation in Columbus, and the Blue Jackets enter a delicate off-season moment as general manager Don Waddell confirms planned talks. With Waddell saying some matters will stay internal and that he will meet with Werenski after the draft, the immediate picture is uncertainty, but one that has clear trade market implications. Expect teams to circle if negotiations stall, and expect Columbus to weigh return versus retaining a top right-shot defenceman.

Prediction: Werenski stays through the summer talks but becomes a trade candidate by training camp if the club and player do not align on competitiveness and contract vision. A summer extension appears possible, but the trade market will be active if Werenski and his camp push for a clearer path to contention.

Player highlights and fit analysis

Werenski is a right-shot power-play quarterback with mobility and offence from the blueline, strengths that fit contending teams needing to balance scoring and transition defence. For a contender, Werenski offers top-four minutes and immediate special teams impact. For Columbus, moving him would demand a high return: an NHL-ready right-shot defenceman, a top-six centre or multiple high-end prospects and picks.

Team implications

If Columbus trades Werenski, short-term pain is likely: the club loses an elite offensive defenceman and a leader. Long-term, a deal could accelerate a re-tool by injecting centre depth or right-shot defence, and add draft capital to reshape the roster. If Werenski stays, Columbus preserves its top-pairing core but must clarify roster upgrades to satisfy a player who, like Dylan Larkin before him, has shown he wants to win now.

Mason McTavish

Mason McTavish is drawing league-wide interest and the Ducks reportedly want pieces who can play right away, including a right-handed defenceman and right-handed centre. Prediction: Anaheim holds firm on a high ask, meaning trades will need to be creative. McTavish’s involvement would tilt a trade toward teams ready to pay for top-six potential.

Dylan Larkin and Roman Josi context

Bringing up similarities to Dylan Larkin highlights a trend: players prioritising contention windows. Roman Josi’s name has surfaced as a potential next domino, reflecting wider market anxiety among veteran stars on teams without clear immediate paths to deep playoff runs.

Connor Hellebuyck and Sergei Bobrovsky

Goaltending rumours persist with names such as Connor Hellebuyck and Sergei Bobrovsky circulating. Teams chasing a short-term championship push will weigh veteran goaltenders as rentals or long-term answers, depending on contract structures.

Filip Hronek and Vancouver

Vancouver’s stance that it has not asked players to waive clauses, including Filip Hronek, signals a measured rebuild. That reduces immediate availability of some trade assets and forces buyers to pivot elsewhere.

Outlook and predictions

Most likely moves: Werenski talks lead to a summer extension or a training-camp-era trade if no alignment, Mason McTavish stays costly and moves only for significant NHL-ready assets, and at least one veteran goaltender finds a new home as contenders chase stability. Wildcard: a surprise multi-asset package that sends Werenski to a clear contender in exchange for an immediate top-six forward and a right-shot defenceman, reshaping Columbus much faster than many expect.

The league’s off-season is entering a classic sellers versus buyers phase, with Werenski at the centre of a story that will shape multiple rosters before the next puck drop.