Zach Werenski Commits to Blue Jackets After Week of Trade Rumors

After a week of trade rumors surrounding Zach Werenski, the Blue Jackets’ franchise defenseman is not going anywhere.

In statements released Wednesday, both Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell and Werenski made clear that the two sides are aligned moving forward, with Werenski saying he wants to remain in Columbus and help the franchise return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“Don and I have had very open and honest dialogue since the season ended,” Werenski said in his statement. “Ideally, this wouldn’t have become such a public thing but that is the world we live in now and everything got blown out of proportion in my opinion. I want to win and I want to do that in Columbus.”

“I want to win and I want to do that in Columbus.”

Waddell’s statement confirmed there was real substance behind at least some of the speculation. According to Waddell, he and Werenski spoke earlier this offseason about the defenseman’s future with the organization, including whether he wanted to remain with the Blue Jackets or explore the possibility of moving on.

Waddell said he told Werenski that if the team found a trade opportunity that made sense, he would bring it to him. Eventually, the Blue Jackets did find something they believed could work for the club. But after further conversations with his family, Werenski told the team he did not want to leave Columbus.

“He has invested a great deal in this organization and after coming close and falling short the past two seasons, his desire is to win here and get this team back into the playoffs,” Waddell said.

That is no small development for the Blue Jackets.

Werenski is coming off the best year of his career and one of the best individual seasons in franchise history. He won Olympic gold in February, then captured his first Norris Trophy in June as the NHL’s top defenseman. He is firmly in the conversation as the greatest player ever to wear a Blue Jackets sweater, and at 28 years old, he remains the centerpiece of what the Jackets are trying to build.

For a franchise that has spent the last several years trying to move from rebuild mode back into contention, losing Werenski would have been a massive blow. Instead, Tuesday’s statements put the organization back on steadier ground, at least publicly.

“As I’ve thought about things and discussed everything with my wife and family, we want to be in Columbus,” Werenski said. “It has been my home for the past 10 years and I have always been proud to be a Blue Jacket.”

“As I’ve thought about things and discussed everything with my wife and family, we want to be in Columbus.”

The message from both sides was direct: the Blue Jackets know the past two seasons have not been good enough, but they believe the team is close. Waddell said the organization’s goals, from ownership down, are the same as Werenski’s: win now, return to the playoffs and eventually compete for a Stanley Cup.

Werenski echoed that.

“We have the best fans in the NHL,” Werenski said. “I love my teammates and coaches and I’m looking forward to doing everything I can to get us back in the playoffs to compete for a Stanley Cup. Don and I are completely aligned on that and are excited about what’s to come with our team.”

For Blue Jackets fans, Tuesday’s release should at least quiet the immediate noise and potentially alleviate star forward Kirill Marchenko's concerns with the team's direction, as well.