Zach Werenski is putting the Maple Leafs trade saga to bed himself, and he's doing it in his own words this week.
The reigning Norris Trophy winner told Daily Faceoff's Matt Larkin the whole thing spiraled way past reality.
"Yeah, that's how it felt for me," Werenski said when asked if the rumors got blown out of proportion.
Werenski posted 81 points in 75 games this season for the Blue Jackets, adding 59 assists and a $9,583,333 cap hit that made him one of the most talked about names on the market.
Columbus finished 40-30-12 this year, 18th overall, closing on a two-game losing streak under head coach Rick Bowness.
The defenceman said his own conversations with GM Don Waddell never matched what was being reported around the league.
"I had a lot of good conversations with Don. But to me, from my point of view was like, this is not at all what I was expecting," Werenski said.
Werenski's call to Waddell that ended the speculation
He didn't leave anyone guessing after that. Werenski said he called Waddell directly and told him he'd be playing in Columbus next season.
"We have a great relationship and I have full trust in him that he's going to make our team better," Werenski said.
That's a defenceman closing his own door on a story that had gotten a lot bigger than he ever intended.
The rumors peaked over draft weekend. Pierre LeBrun reported Toronto was the only team Werenski would accept a trade to.
Elliotte Friedman followed with a report that Werenski had vetoed a deal to Dallas and was weighing offers from the Maple Leafs and the Lightning.
None of that changes where things stand now. Werenski is a Blue Jacket, and both sides sound like they'd rather move on than relitigate a summer that got away from everyone.
Toronto, for its part, just watched its most realistic path to a top pairing defenceman close for good.
Do you believe Zach Werenski's version that the trade rumors were overblown?
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