Zach Werenski and Rick Bowness suddenly have a calmer Columbus file after a needed conversation with Don Waddell.
That is the real development here. The loud trade tension around Werenski did not disappear, but it did take a step back.
Darren Dreger's update said Werenski is comfortable returning to Columbus after speaking with Waddell. That alone changes the tone from exit watch to wait-and-see.
It matters because this was turning into one of the league's messier summer files. Waddell had already said he planned to meet with Werenski after the draft to get a feel for where things stood long term.
The reason teams were circling was obvious. Werenski is not just a top-pair defenseman. He is coming off an 81-point season in 75 games and just won the Norris Trophy.
That kind of player always pulls the market toward him, especially with 2 years left on his contract and no extension path until July 1, 2027.
The contract structure matters too. Werenski has a full no-trade clause through July 1, 2027, which means Columbus was never in total control of this story anyway.
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A major new twist just emerged in Zach Werenski's future with the Blue Jackets
That is the cleanest way to read this. A trade is still possible, but Dreger's update says nothing is currently in the pipeline.
For the Blue Jackets, that is a win for now. Waddell did not need a rushed deal. He needed clarity, and this conversation seems to have given him at least some.
For Bowness, this matters just as much. Columbus is trying to push forward, not walk into camp with its best defenseman mentally halfway out the door.
There is still no long-term promise here. Earlier reporting made clear Werenski had given no indication whether he wanted to remain in Columbus beyond the life of his current deal.
That is why the market will stay warm. A Norris winner with term, a no-trade clause, and an unsettled future is too big a name for rival teams to ignore.
But the mood has changed. Zach Werenski no longer looks like a star charging for the nearest exit. Right now, he looks like a player willing to come back, reset the room, and see where Columbus goes next.
Did Don Waddell do enough to calm the Zach Werenski situation for now?
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