At least a dozen teams will jump all over this. <\/p>\n
That leaves three options for GM Don Waddell as he figures out what to do here. The Blue Jackets can try to trade him this summer to get the best possible return. The Blue Jackets can wait a year and trade him before he\u2019s able to walk as a free agent. They can hold onto him, try to compete, and let him head to the open market.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no way anyone gets to option three, and the first option seems the most logical. And there are already teams checking in. The Dallas Stars, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, and San Jose Sharks have called.<\/p>\n
Maple Leafs in the Mix?<\/p>\n
According to The Athletic\u2019s Pierre LeBrun, Toronto is also in the picture. He writes: <\/p>\n
\u201cIt might be easier to report the teams that won\u2019t pick up the phone rather than the interest that\u2019s already out there. My understanding is that eight to 10 teams have already called the Blue Jackets. You can absolutely count the Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, San Jose Sharks and Hurricanes among the early teams with interest. The Stars\u2019 and Flyers\u2019 interest I would describe as keen. The one Canadian team that the Team USA Olympic gold medal winner might consider, by the way, is the Toronto Maple Leafs. Again, we\u2019re going to get to at least a dozen teams by the end of this thing for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
source \u2013 \u2018Zach Werenski trade rumblings: 3 options for the Blue Jackets, early suitors and what\u2019s next\u2019 \u2013 Pierre LeBrun \u2013 The Athletic \u2013 06\/27\/2026<\/p>\n
For a player who helped the United States win Olympic gold in February and was named the NHL\u2019s best defenceman this past season, this is a little surprising. Typically, these Team USA players have tried to avoid Canada. And, it\u2019s not as though the Maple Leafs scream contender.<\/p>\n
Still, LeBrun isn\u2019t the only insider to report this. The Fourth Period\u2019s David Pagnotta added while on Leafs Morning Take: \u201cThere\u2019s been no indication that he doesn\u2019t like it there. I think he just wants to understand the direction of the team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Werenski Would Be a Game-Changer for Toronto<\/p>\n
Since the start of the 2023\u201324 campaign, Werenski has put up 56 goals and 220 points in 226 games, averaging nearly 26 minutes of ice time per night. Only Cale Makar, Evan Bouchard, and Quinn Hughes have scored more in that span. He\u2019s not just a good defenceman \u2014 this past season, he ranked as the very best in the league.<\/p>\n
This generation of the Maple Leafs has never had a defenseman of his caliber. Perhaps they\u2019ve never had anyone this good\u2026ever.<\/p>\n
For Toronto, the timing could not be more convenient. The Maple Leafs currently have over $22 million in projected cap space heading into 2026\u201327, giving new GM John Chayka the financial flexibility to absorb his cap hit and offer up a competitive package of players, picks, and prospects.<\/p>\n The Leafs are also in the process of overhauling a significant chunk of their defense, with Morgan Rielly potentially on his way out of town and Darren Raddysh having already been added. If the Blue Jackets want NHL players in return (as has been reported), Rielly could be part of the deal. He might not approve a move to the Blue Jackets, but if a third team gets involved and flips him to a Western Conference contender, this could work.<\/p>\n![\"Zach](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Zach-Werenski-Blue-Jackets-2-1200x800.jpg\")
Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets (Jess Starr<\/a>\/The Hockey Writers)<\/p>\n