The Philadelphia Flyers are said to be “all in” on acquiring reigning Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski from the Columbus Blue Jackets.
After spending the first 10 seasons of his NHL career toiling for the lowly Blue Jackets, Werenski has requested a trade from the only team he’s ever known since Columbus made him the No. 8 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
Now 28 years old and in the prime of his hockey career, Werenski wants to go to a winning franchise, and who can blame him, as the Blue Jackets have been locked out of the playoffs for six straight seasons despite Werenski being arguably the league’s best defenseman.
To that end, Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell is now listening to trade offers for his top player, and one of the teams that badly wants him is Philadelphia, which has been searching for a true No. 1 defenseman for a while.
Flyers ‘All In’ On Zach Werenski
Writing for The Athletic, NHL analyst Shayna Goldman and veteran Blue Jackets reporter Aaron Portzline connected the Flyers to the stud defenseman, suggesting that the Flyers are “all in” on acquiring Werenski in a trade, with Porter Martone or Tyson Foerster being the centerpiece of any deal.
“The Flyers would like it to be known that they’re all in for Werenski. They took a run at Bowen Byram before the Buffalo Sabres traded him to the Chicago Blackhawks. We’re just not seeing a fit here. And don’t start with Matvei Michkov. Not happening. The Blue Jackets would almost certainly ask for young forwards Porter Martone or Tyson Foerster in return, who Kevin Kurz thinks are untouchable. But they’d also need a defenseman in return. Not Rasmus Ristolainen, and Travis Sanheim doesn’t really move the needle, either,” wrote Goldman and Portzline.
“If the summer gets long and this situation gets messy, maybe Waddell will have to lower his asking price or consider a more futures-heavy package. The Flyers’ prospect pool ranked eighth this past spring before the draft, and the team is fully stocked on draft picks over the next three years. But it’s hard to imagine that will be necessary. The Flyers’ interest is understandable because this team desperately needs a true No. 1 defenseman to lead the way. What’s hard to see is a pathway to a deal.”
Zach Werenski is an Elite NHL Defenseman
Werenski won the James Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman this past season after scoring 22 goals and 81 points in 75 games. He was the runner-up the year prior.
Werenski makes $9.58 million for the next two seasons on his contract before he becomes an unrestricted free agent. Instead of risking losing Werenski for nothing on the free-agent market, Waddell is likely going to trade him away and recoup some assets.
The player does have a no-movement clause, so he ultimately controls his final destination. But if the team and player can find a suitable trade partner that satisfies both sides’ wishes, don’t be surprised at all if Werenski is moved this summer.
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