This morning, The Athletic’s Shayna Goldman and Aaron Portzline discuss potential trade “fits” for Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski, who’s reportedly told Blue Jackets GM Don Wadell that Werenski will not re-sign with the team when his contract expires in the summer of 2028.
In offering “Eight Possible Fits” for Werenski to be traded to, they include the Red Wings, who are (of course) Werenski’s “hometown team“:
Detroit Red Wings
If Dylan Larkin hadn’t requested a trade out of Detroit, the Red Wings would have been one of the most interesting teams on this list. Werenski’s ties to Michigan run deep; he’s from Grosse Pointe and went to the University of Michigan. Playing for the Red Wings with Larkin could be a full-circle moment and would address a major need in Detroit, but that possibility seems remote.
The Red Wings have their franchise defenseman in Moritz Seider, whose all-around game put him right in the thick of the Norris conversation with Werenski. But another dynamic threat on the back end could be an absolute game-changer for a team that has ranked in the bottom half of the league in five-on-five scoring chance generation over the last couple of seasons.
Detroit likely has pieces to interest Columbus, such as Emmitt Finnie, Nate Danielson, Marco Kasper and Axel Sandin-Pellikka, among others. The Red Wings also have a deep pipeline to pull from and cap space to absorb (and extend) Werenski. But without Larkin, this team’s timeline likely gets pushed back. And that’s two strikes against Werenski’s chances of waiving his no-movement clause to end up in Detroit.
Continued (paywall); I can’t see Columbus accepting the Red Wings’ top prospects alone. They’d want a front-line NHL player, like Simon Edvinsson, in return…In addition to some top prospects and first-round draft picks.
Werenski coming to Detroit is a nice thought to bounce around in our heads, but it’s not going to happen.
