It’s Lightning or Maple Leafs as Werenski Turns Down Trade to Stars

The Zach Werenski trade saga took a new turn Tuesday, with multiple insiders reporting the star defenseman turned down a deal that would have sent him to the Dallas Stars.

According to Chris Johnston, sources indicate Werenski was presented with a trade option to a team he’s unwilling to waive his no-move clause for. Johnston added that the situation in Columbus appears to be worsening, though Werenski has never formally requested a trade — he’s simply had candid conversations about his future with the organization since April, with no clear resolution in sight.

Follow-up reporting has filled in the picture: the rejected destination is believed to be Dallas, in a trade package that reportedly included Thomas Harley. The Blue Jackets were said to be comfortable with what the Stars were offering, but the holdup wasn’t on Columbus’s end — it was Werenski himself, who wasn’t willing to waive his no-move protection to go there.

Related: Why a Werenski Blockbuster Actually Makes Sense for Both Dallas and Columbus

David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period adds that the scuttlebutt suggests he’s not interested in going to Dallas. Tampa Bay remains engaged and, as of now, appears to be Werenski’s preferred destination. Philadelphia had also been in the conversation earlier but seems to have fallen behind the Lightning. The throughline in all of this: Werenski wants to stay in the Eastern Conference.

Pierre LeBrun’s reporting says that Tampa Bay and Toronto are the top teams Werenski would accept a trade to, while noting the real question is whether either team can actually meet Columbus’s asking price in a deal.

Now What When it Comes to Werenski?

This complicates what looked like a fairly straightforward blockbuster just days ago. Dallas had reportedly stepped up with a trade framework Columbus was willing to work with — by some accounts, the best package on the table — but none of that matters if Werenski won’t approve the move. No-move clauses give Werenski real leverage here, and it sounds like he’s using it.

That puts the Blue Jackets in a tougher spot. If Tampa Bay and Toronto are truly his only preferred landing spots, Columbus may have to accept a lesser return than what Dallas was offering just to get a deal his agent and NMC will actually allow. For now, the situation remains fluid, with no indication that a resolution is close.

Friedman wrote on Tuesday night, “Werenski’s decision appears to indicate two things: that his preference — for now — is the Eastern Conference, and that the relationship between player and the Blue Jackets is falling apart in what could be its final days.”

Next: Insider Reveals Werenski’s Desired Landing Spot, Third Team Involved?