Jeff Marek says the Dallas Stars haven't cooled on Zach Werenski, the Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman who keeps landing at the center of trade talk.
The idea is simple. Dallas wants a high-end defender, and Werenski is about as high-end as the market gets.
Here is what Marek said on Clear Breakaway, according to NHL Rumour Report. He doesn't think the Stars' interest in Werenski has gone anywhere, and he added that they have been looking for one more high-end defender for a while.
-
That is a notable line, because it points to a team with a plan rather than a team reacting to the news cycle. The Stars have been shopping at this position for a long time, per Marek, and they haven't stopped.
Werenski is 29 and was drafted eighth overall by Columbus in 2015. He has 10 points in 12 games this season, all of them assists, with a +4 rating.
Over his NHL career he has 475 points in 654 games. That is a lot of production from the back end, and it explains why a contender would keep calling.
Why Dallas fits as a landing spot
The Stars are 8-5-1 and sit fourth in the Central Division, with a +7 goal differential. They won their last game 3-1 against Columbus on Saturday, Oct. 31, and they play at Washington on Tuesday.
That is a good team, not a desperate one. But good teams chase the top of the market, and Glen Gulutzan's group has a clear need if the front office believes what Marek is describing.
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | DIFF | |
| 1. Minnesota Wild | 16 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 23 | +16 |
| 2. Utah Mammoth | 15 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 18 | +2 |
| 3. Colorado Avalanche | 14 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 17 | +15 |
| 4. Dallas Stars | 14 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 17 | +7 |
| 5. St. Louis Blues | 14 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 15 | +2 |
| 6. Nashville Predators | 14 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 15 | -5 |
| 7. Winnipeg Jets | 15 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 11 | -20 |
| 8. Chicago Blackhawks | 14 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 9 | -22 |
Jim Nill would have to build a package for a player Columbus has no obvious reason to give away cheaply. Werenski's contract runs through 2027-28, which is a big piece of the conversation if the Blue Jackets ever listen seriously.
And that's the tension. Dallas can want him all it likes. Nothing in the report says Columbus is selling, and nothing says a deal is close.
A defenseman of this caliber costs real assets, and a contender that has been patient this long shouldn't overpay. If I'm Dallas, I stay interested and make Columbus come to me.
The Stars and Blue Jackets have already met once this season, and Dallas won that one on Saturday. Whether the Werenski talk gets louder before the next one is the thing to watch.
Should the Blue Jackets trade Zach Werenski to the Stars if the price is right?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Nikita Kucherov reportedly selects 3 players who he wants to play alongside in the NHL
