Zach Werenski and Jim Hiller are suddenly in the same Toronto conversation, and that is not small rumor noise anymore.
The new angle is simple. According to Pierre LeBrun, the Maple Leafs are the one Canadian team Werenski would consider if this thing ever gets serious.
That matters because Toronto usually gets boxed out on American stars the second geography becomes part of the file. Here, it sounds like the Leafs are at least inside the door.
It also changes the way John Chayka has to look at the blue line. A player like Werenski is not a tweak. He is a full roster-shaper.
" “My understanding is that eight to 10 teams have already called the Blue Jackets. You can absolutely count the Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, San Jose Sharks and Hurricanes among the early teams with interest.” - Pierre LeBrun
The price would be brutal, and that is what makes this such a real debate. Toronto would not be buying a distressed asset or a cap casualty.
Werenski just won the Norris Trophy and still has 2 years left on his contract at 9.5 million per season. If Columbus moves him, the return is going to hurt.
He is worth that kind of pain on talent alone. Werenski put up 81 points in 75 games last season and gives you true No. 1 usage from the back end.
“The Stars' and Flyers' interest I would describe as keen.” - Pierre LeBrun
“The one Canadian team that the Team USA Olympic gold medal winner might consider, by the way, is the Toronto Maple Leafs.” - Pierre LeBrun
The Maple Leafs may have just landed their biggest target yet
That is the strongest part of the story. The Leafs can talk about changing the defense all they want, but chances to chase a defenseman like this almost never open up.
And the fit is obvious. Werenski would instantly become Toronto's most important defenseman and change the pressure on everyone else behind him.
That is why the Auston Matthews connection matters too. When a player already has comfort with the room and the city becomes one of the few Canadian places he would consider, that is real leverage.
Still, Columbus is not going to hand him away. The Blue Jackets know exactly what he is, and they also know 8 to 10 teams are already circling.
That means Toronto would have to pay like a team chasing a franchise piece. Matthew Knies, Morgan Rielly, Easton Cowan, Ben Danford, Dennis Hildeby, futures, all of it starts getting dragged into the conversation.
The Leafs also would have to decide what kind of summer this is. Are they trying to make careful upgrades, or are they willing to tear into the core of the roster for one elite answer on the blue line?
That is why this rumor has real weight. Zach Werenski is not just a name Toronto fans can daydream about from a distance.
If he truly would accept the Leafs as his one Canadian option, then John Chayka has a rare opening. The hard part now is deciding whether he is willing to pay the price that comes with it.
Source : Report: Zach Werenski willing to accept trade to Maple Leafs
Should the Maple Leafs pay a massive price to land Zach Werenski?
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