Possible trade – Zach Werenski’s potential trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets has sparked real speculation on the Sportsnet “32 Thoughts” podcast, with Elliotte Friedman floating destinations including Vegas, Dallas, and Toronto—while also pointing to what Columbus GM Don Wa
Columbus fans don’t even have to know the ins and outs of every cap wrinkle to feel the attention Z ach Werenski draws. When the reigning Norris Trophy winner becomes a trade possibility, the whole market reacts—fast.
That buzz grew on Monday morning when Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman. discussing the idea on the “32 Thoughts” podcast with Kyle Bukauskas. started spit-balling whether Werenski and longtime Michigan connection Dylan Larkin could land on the same NHL roster. Friedman said. “Part of me has wondered if there’s a team that could pull off both guys.” He then pointed to Vegas and Dallas as the clubs he was specifically musing about.
Friedman also acknowledged the leap isn’t guaranteed—“spit-balling” was the exact framing—but the conversations around Werenski are already built on something concrete: both Werenski and Larkin have had conversations with their current teams about moving on.
With that in mind, the focus quickly tightened back to Werenski himself and the teams that make sense if Columbus Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell decides to act.
Waddell’s message has been consistent: whether it’s Werenski or not. he wants a competitive team next fall in Ohio. The Jackets aren’t looking to land three teenagers for a star defenceman. That posture matters. because a deal like this rarely becomes straightforward the moment teams start calculating what they can offer and what Columbus is actually willing to accept.
Dallas is one destination that keeps coming into view.
In Friedman’s telling, a trade between Columbus and Dallas fits how the Stars see their timeline. The Stars would see Werenski as a piece to help chase the Cup, beginning as early as 2027. And if Werenski’s contract situation lines up the way Dallas would want. the Stars would feel confident retaining him beyond the summer of 2028. when he’s currently eligible to become a free agent.
For Columbus, the appeal of Dallas isn’t just what Dallas might want. It’s that Dallas offers a path toward a return that feels realistic for a player of Werenski’s value.
Friedman also zeroed in on the kind of player Columbus might target if Werenski is moved—and what it could look like to win the trade even in a difficult market. He said, “On its [face], I find it hard to believe there’s a better trade out there for Columbus than Thomas Harley.”
Harley is 24 years old and finished his third full season in Texas. Friedman made clear a key complication would be whether Harley would be on board with the move. Even without trade protection, Friedman’s point was simple: nobody wants to trade one unhappy all-world defenceman for another.
But if Harley is intrigued by the idea of joining Columbus—where he would be the unquestioned No. 1—Friedman argued Columbus would be getting maximum value. The Jackets would be recouping a player locked up through his best years, with Harley under contract through 2033-34.
Toronto enters the conversation with its own urgency. Friedman said, “I 100 per cent believe Toronto will try,” describing the Leafs’ willingness to pursue a blueline makeover built around Werenski.
Still. there’s a specific question Friedman flagged: whether Werenski would see Toronto as a club that can win right now. The question ties to other rumoured pieces the Leafs have reportedly been moving around. Friedman pointed to the Leafs’ apparent willingness to deal 23-year-old power forward Matthew Knies.
If Columbus doesn’t get a defenceman back for Werenski, Friedman suggested a different approach could be possible—Columbus could pursue Knies, then potentially use another rumoured name, winger Kirill Marchenko, to help fill a need on the blueline.
Vegas, meanwhile, is also on the list Friedman raised, but it comes with different constraints.
The Golden Knights did create breathing room when they dealt away Pavel Dorofeyev at the draft. They also still have business to handle with pending-UFA defenceman Rasmus Anderson. Vegas is also said to be looking at the futures of forward Tomas Hertl and goalie Adin Hill.
Clearing cap space could let Vegas not only go after Werenski, but keep him in Nevada long-term. Friedman’s sticking point was that—especially with Dorofeyev already dealt—there doesn’t appear to be an obvious starting point for a desirable return from Columbus’ perspective. the way Dallas and Toronto can be.
Carolina is the other franchise that feels built for the pitch, even if Friedman didn’t name the Hurricanes directly. The reason is straightforward: the Canes are the defending Cup champions.
Friedman’s framing also pointed to what Carolina has already shown on the biggest stage—winning the title without an elite puck-mover driving things from the back end. In other words. the fit isn’t just about the star factor; it’s about adding Werenski to a defensive core that already includes Team USA buddy chemistry and. as Friedman put it. all-world defensive D-man Jaccob Slavin.
Carolina’s roster-building flexibility also matters here. Friedman said the Canes have the cap space to make a deal work, especially if they can find a taker for centre Jesperi Kotkaniemi.
And if Columbus is shopping for a return that helps both in the present and over time, Carolina’s assets could line up. Friedman pointed to 24-year-old defenceman Alexander Nikishin, who needs a new contract, along with a “ripe forward prospect” like 21-year-old Bradly Nadeau.
For Don Waddell, the appeal of a deal isn’t only whether he lands a No. 1 defenceman piece. It’s the possibility of simultaneously rebuilding the blue line and adding impact up front—something Friedman’s scenarios keep circling back to as the Jackets weigh what they can take back for Werenski.
The through-line in all of it is that Werenski—Norris Trophy winner. market magnet. trade buzz in motion—doesn’t just represent a roster change. If the Jackets decide to move him. it becomes a statement about the kind of team Waddell wants in Ohio next fall. and how aggressively Columbus plans to pursue real contention instead of a harvest of prospects.
Zach Werenski trade Columbus Blue Jackets Don Waddell Dylan Larkin Dallas Stars Toronto Maple Leafs Vegas Golden Knights Carolina Hurricanes Thomas Harley Matthew Knies Kirill Marchenko Jaccob Slavin Alexander Nikishin Bradly Nadeau