Zach Werenski trade rumors: Six ideal fits for the 2026 Norris Trophy winner, Blue Jackets defenseman
According to multiple reports, 2026 Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski is on the trade block as he's expressed a desire to move on from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Recently crowned the top defenseman in the NHL, Werenski will draw massive interest, but only a handful of landing spots truly make sense.
Werenski is a superstar defenseman at the top of his game, and he will immediately change the outlook of whichever team acquires him. He's now topped 80 points in back-to-back seasons, and the underlying numbers have been spectacular.
Over the last three seasons, the Blue Jackets have had a plus-48 goal differential and a 52.3% expected goals share with Werenski on the ice at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick. In 2025-26, Columbus was markedly worse with Werenski on the bench.
| Goal differential | xG share | |
|---|---|---|
With Werenski | plus-15 | 55.4% |
Without Werenski | minus-3 | 49.4% |
With the NHL salary cap rising sharply each year, more teams will have the room to add Werenski's contract, which has two seasons remaining with an average annual value of $9.5 million. With Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes set to get new deals over the next year, Werenski might even look like a bargain.
Werenski is a rare game-changing defender who can drive play from the back end, and these six teams should be in the thick of trade negotiations.
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San Jose Sharks
Prior to the 2026 NHL Draft, there were rumors that the Sharks would be willing to part with the No. 9 overall pick to acquire an established defenseman. Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly was mentioned in connection with San Jose, but frankly, general manager Mike Grier should be thinking bigger. As the newly-crowned Norris Trophy winner and an Olympic gold medalist, Werenski is exactly the type of star the Sharks should be targeting as they ascend to contender status.
Even with a barren blue line and no depth at forward, the Sharks fell just four points shy of a playoff spot last season. Werenski would kill two birds with one stone in that regard. He would give San Jose a bona fide No. 1 defenseman while also giving the offense more firepower -- both at even strength and on the power play. The Sharks have the cap space and the assets to make this happen, and they should be ringing Waddell's phone off the hook.
Detroit Red Wings
What if general manager Steve Yzerman was able to convince captain Dylan Larkin to stick around and create perhaps the most dominant defensive pairing in the NHL at the same time? Acquiring Werenski would be the type of boost that puts Detroit's rebuild over the finish line, and the Wings would have two true No. 1 defensemen in Werenski and Moritz Seider. Meanwhile, Larkin may be more inclined to remain with Detroit if his Team USA teammate and fellow Michigander does so.
Would Detroit be interested in giving up Simon Edvinsson, a young defenseman with a lot of upside, in exchange for a finished product? The Red Wings also have the cap space and draft capital to make this deal work. Yzerman needs to be bold this summer. The recipe is there for a huge move.
Tampa Bay Lightning
After letting Darren Raddysh go in a sign-and-trade with the Maple Leafs, the Lightning have a need on the blue line. Julien BriseBois is one of the most aggressive general managers in the league, and he always seems to be poking around the biggest names on the trade market. Besides, Werenski only costs $1 million more per season than Raddysh, and he's a far more complete player.
The salary cap is a slight issue for Tampa with $13.1 million available prior to free agency, according to PuckPedia. The good news for the Bolts is that the vast majority of their roster is already under contract for the 2026-27 season. BriseBois would only need to make tweaks on the fringes of the roster, and he would have roughly $3.6 million to do it. Tampa might have to move a contract out to swing a Werenski trade, but that's doable.
Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks need defensive help for two reasons. For one, they were absolutely horrific on their own end last season. Secondly, Anaheim may lose three of its best defensemen with Jacob Trouba, Radko Gudas and John Carlson all set to hit free agency. Werenski would upgrade the Ducks' blue line exponentially, but he would do so in a way that gels with the up-tempo attacking style that Joel Quenneville has implemented on offense.
Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier will both receive gargantuan raises this summer, but the Ducks have $44.6 million in cap space. That will give them plenty of breathing room to acquire Werenski and sign their two young superstars. Anaheim has two first-round picks and two second-round picks in last year's draft, and they have a decent prospect pool to pull from. If the Blue Jackets want established NHL players in exchange for Werenski, that could complicate the deal for Anaheim. The Ducks don't have many players in their prime that they would -- or should -- be willing to trade.
Dallas Stars
Dallas is one of the strongest teams in the NHL, but it has struggled to find consistency outside of two or three players on the blue line. Werenski would certainly solve that problem, but he wouldn't come cheap. In fact, it would probably cost the Stars a 24-year-old budding star set to make $10.5 million per season through 2033-34. Thomas Harley alone may not be enough to get the deal done, but the cost might be worth the reward for general manager Jim Nill.
If Harley is included in the deal, Werenski would provide superior defense without sacrificing any offense. Plus, as with the Red Wings and Seider, the opportunity to pair Werenski with another Norris Trophy contender in Miro Heiskanen might be too good to pass up. Coming off a disappointing first-round playoff exit, Dallas needs to stay aggressive in order to maximize its championship window.
New Jersey Devils
As an American, I can admit that a small part of this is fan fiction. Reuniting Werenski and Jack Hughes after their "Golden Goal" heroics would be the cherry on top of this deal, but it makes plenty of sense on paper, too.
It's no secret that New Jersey has an interest in acquiring the third and final Hughes brother, Quinn, at some point over the next year. Whether that happens around the 2027 trade deadline or in free agency next summer, it doesn't matter. Both will be too late. Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt are all in their prime, so the Devils can't afford to wait on Quinn to save the day on defense. With Werenski available, New Jersey must strike now to transform itself into a true Cup contender.
In order to pull this off, the Devils would probably also have to move out Dougie Hamilton and his $9 million-per-season contract. Hamilton has a 10-team trade list, which would limit New Jersey's options and create a possible hiccup in negotiations with Columbus. If the Devils can offload Hamilton's contract, however, that would create the flexibility to acquire Werenski and upgrade other parts of the roster.
Add CBS Sports on GoogleBadenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
