Zach Werenski is staying in Columbus as an official trade decision has been reached, and Rick Bowness now gets his top defenseman back in the middle of the Blue Jackets' plans.
The story spun fast this week. Trade talk heated up, a deal was explored, and Werenski's future suddenly looked open after word surfaced that an extension was not a lock.
Then came the turn. Werenski and general manager Don Waddell released a joint statement that put a stop to the noise, at least for now.
Waddell said the two had talked in the spring about where things stood. That led Columbus to look at options and bring a possible move back to Werenski for consideration.
A trade with the Dallas Stars was reportedly on the table, but Werenski used his full no-move clause and shut it down.
That decision changed the entire conversation around the Blue Jackets' summer.
Waddell's quote cut right to it: “We found something that would work for the club and took it to him. After some time and discussions with his family, Zach informed us that he didn't want to leave Columbus.”
Columbus keeps its franchise defenseman in Zach Werenski
Werenski didn't hide his frustration with how public the situation became. He made it clear that the outside reaction ran hotter than what was happening behind the scenes.
“Everything got blown out of proportion, in my opinion,” Werenski said. “It has been my home for the past 10 years and I have always been proud to be a Blue Jacket. We have the best fans in the NHL.”
That matters because Columbus isn't talking about just any blue-liner. Werenski put up 22 goals and 81 points in 75 games last season and carried a massive workload.
Bowness had already said the trade noise caught him off guard, which made this feel even stranger inside the organization. A reset was badly needed, and it looks like they got one.
Werenski still has 2 years left on his contract, and the Blue Jackets now move forward with their No. 1 defenseman still driving the blue line. The bigger question is whether this closes the door for good or just cools things off.
For now, Columbus keeps its backbone on the back end. After a week like this, that's the only result that really counts.
Did Zach Werenski make the right call by staying in Columbus?
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