The rumor mill is heating up even more with the NHL Draft weekend upon us. According to reports, the Columbus Blue Jackets’ defenseman Zach Werenski has told the team he has no interest in re-signing in two years' time. Which tends to force the club's hand and make a trade, similar to the Ottawa Senators with Brady Tkachuk. However, this time the Toronto Maple Leafs find themselves right in the middle of it all.
According to insider Pierre LeBrun, if the reigning Norris Trophy winner decides to waive his no-movement clause to leave Columbus, Toronto is the single Canadian destination he would consider joining.
While heavy-hitting American franchises like the Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, and Carolina Hurricanes are all reportedly kicking the tires on a potential deal, knowing that Toronto is the lone Canadian team that Werenski is interested in is a massive leverage point for new Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka.
Werenski may want to join Matthews in Toronto
It makes perfect sense why Werenski would view Toronto as an exception to playing in a Canadian market. The 28-year-old superstar just spent part of his winter winning an Olympic gold medal with Team USA alongside Auston Matthews, and that alone is a huge selling point. Plus, with the Maple Leafs ushering in a brand new era after officially moving on from the core four structure and drafting generational talent Gavin McKenna first overall, Toronto looks like a premier destination for an elite blueliner wanting to win right now.
Werenski is coming off a monster 81-point Norris trophy-winning season and has two years remaining on his current contract at a $9.5 million cap hit. Columbus general manager Don Waddell is in no rush to give away his franchise cornerstone, meaning the asking price is going to be incredibly high. Insiders are already speculating that a return package would have to start with a top-tier young roster piece like Matthew Knies alongside premium draft capital just to get Columbus to truly engage. However, if we look back to the Tkachuk trade, when the club doesn’t hold many of the cards, the asking price tends to come down.
With the Atlantic Division getting tougher by the day, this is exactly the type of franchise-altering swing Chayka needs to look at. Werenski holds all the cards with his no-movement clause, and if he has truly narrowed his Canadian options down to just the blue and white. Management needs to find a way to make the trade work and land the true number-one defenseman this city has been desperate for.
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