Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski, who has requested a trade out of Columbus, is now being linked to the San Jose Sharks.
Werenski won the James Norris Memorial Trophy this season as the NHL’s top defenseman. He has played his entire 10-year career in Columbus, blossoming into one of the game’s elite blueliners.
But with the Blue Jackets missing the playoffs for six straight seasons, the 28-year-old Werenski wants out. He has a no-movement clause, so he will ultimately get to pick his destination should Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell find a deal that he likes and Werenski OKs the move.
That could be to San Jose, one of the league’s teams on the rise.
Zach Werenski Could Go to San Jose
The Athletic’s Shayna Goldman and Aaron Portzline took a look at eight potential destinations that Werenski could waive his NMC to go to, and one of them is the Sharks, one of the top up-and-coming teams in the NHL.
Armed with a litter of young talent, including Hart Memorial Trophy candidate Macklin Celebrini, this year’s No. 2 overall pick, Ivar Stenberg, and No. 9 overall pick Keaton Verhoff, the Sharks have lots of young and talented players that could see them be contenders for years to come, which is why Sharks GM Mike Grier might try to swing a big trade for Werenski.
“If the motivation behind Werenski’s exit from Columbus is the desire to play on a bona fide Stanley Cup contender, the Sharks might not be the dream destination. But San Jose has quickly become one of the NHL’s most exciting rising teams. Being part of a team on the brink of achieving something special, under a general manager who has been cooking in recent seasons, could be enticing. The Sharks aren’t a Werenski away from contending just yet, but this team nearly reached the playoffs last season on Macklin Celebrini’s back. Another year of development for this core, plus an elite defenseman, could be enough to get San Jose back into the playoffs,” according to The Athletic.
Sharks Need Veteran Defenseman
While the Sharks did draft two defenseman in the first round of this year’s draft with the aforementioned Verhoff and Ryan Lin, they could really use some veteran defenseman.
The team has been linked to acquiring Toronto’s Morgan Rielly and Edmonton’s Darnell Nurse, but Werenski is a far superior player to both of them, and he would be the perfect fit on the San Jose blueline as the team’s No. 1 defenseman for years to come.
“Defense is the most pressing area of need for the Sharks, who only have two blueliners — Dmitry Orlov and Sam Dickinson — under contract for next season at the NHL level. Drafting Keaton Verhoeff and Ryan Lin in the first round will help elevate San Jose’s defensive core in the future, but it will take time for them to become impact players in the NHL. Until then, the Sharks have a clear need for a player like Werenski and a ton of cap space to absorb his current hit and next contract. Even after dealing William Eklund, San Jose has a deep enough asset pool to send an up-and-coming star back to Columbus,” wrote The Athletic.
Zach Werenski Linked to San Jose Sharks