The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to seek out help on the blue line.
If it’s a high-end defenseman they’re after, the name Zach Werenski would certainly fit the bill.
Werenski currently stars for the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he’s one of the best in his position in the sport.
He was also a gold medalist for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics, so it’s clear Werenski can deliver on the biggest of stages.
With that in mind, then, the Maple Leafs have been floated as an eventual destination for Werenski before, and it’s chatter that has continued as the 2026-27 NHL season has gotten underway.
What Makes This Possible
The Athletic’s James Mirtle was asked about the Werenski possibility in a new mailbag, and he broke his answer into a couple parts.
First, he discusses what is already known:
“He hasn’t committed in any way to the Columbus Blue Jackets long-term, and his deal’s up in 2028. He was intrigued by the idea of Toronto, and his NMC becomes a 10-team no-trade next summer.”
That by itself is a fascinating combination. By the summer of 2027, the Blue Jackets will begin to worry about the possibility of losing Werenski. That’s when a trade partner could swoop in.
“More realistically, this is a question for next year’s offseason, as I think Columbus is going to go all-in on trying to make a playoff push,” Mirtle adds. “The (Kirill) Marchenko trade wasn’t about a rebuild or retool; it was about trying to make the best of a bad situation and remain competitive. So it would have to be summer 2027 that the Leafs would have to pounce.”
Essentially, the 2026-27 season might hold all the cards in Columbus.
How Leafs Make it Happen
There is an onus on the Maple Leafs, too, because they don’t have an immediate and obvious connection to Werenski. He’s not Canadian, for starters.
“There are a lot of complicating factors, however,” Mirtle writes. “For one, what kind of season does Toronto have? If they miss the playoffs again, how desirable a destination are they for Werenski, who turns 30 next summer and will be looking to extend with a contender? And what does Auston Matthews decide on his future, with his deal also up in 2028? And just what the Leafs would have to give up for a Norris Trophy winner, after moving off of Matthew Knies already, is a fair question, too.”
Mirtle’s summation centers on the fact that the Maple Leafs need to have a good season in 2026-27 to start the ball rolling here.
“There’s a world where things line up for Toronto and Werenski remains in the picture, but I think a lot of it hinges on them having a strong season this year,” Mirtle writes. “That’s going to be the best pull factor to bring in marquee stars via trade or free agency — and to keep the ones they have.”
So for fans hoping to see Werenski in Toronto, it seems like a two-fold operation: The Blue Jackets have to struggle this season, and the Maple Leafs have to be good.
If that happens, start your engines for quite the rumor mill in the summer of 2027.
This is How Maple Leafs Get Zach Werenski