Zach Werenski and Rick Bowness look set to start the season together in Columbus.
That is the clearest shift in this story right now. Chris Johnston's latest read is that Werenski should be back with the Blue Jackets to open next season, even if the bigger contract question still hangs there.
That matters because a few days ago this file looked headed somewhere else. Trade noise around Werenski got loud enough that it started to feel like a summer split, not just routine front-office listening.
Then the tone changed. Werenski's side cooled things, and the outside read now is that Columbus will get him back in uniform, at least for the start.
That does not make this a quiet win for the Blue Jackets. It just buys them time. Johnston's point was that the larger issue still sits there as Werenski gets closer to the end of his contract.
And that is why nobody in Columbus should mistake this for a clean reset. The short-term panic eased, but the long-term pressure did not.
" Chris Johnston: Re Morgan Rielly/Maple Leafs: I still expect him likely to be moved, I know there's still hope that it can happen; the Sharks went off the board as a possibility...when they traded for Darnell Nurse and signed Jacob Trouba - Chris Johnston Show (7/2) "
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Columbus fixed the mood, not the whole problem
Werenski is too big a piece for this to disappear. He just finished 2025-26 with 22 goals and 59 assists for 81 points in 75 games, one of the best seasons any defenseman in the league had.
That is elite production from the blue line, and it is why teams kept circling him so hard. Players who can drive offense like that while still handling major minutes do not become available often.
The Blue Jackets also are not sitting in an easy spot as a team. They went 40-30-12 for 92 points last season, which is good enough to stay interesting and frustrating enough to keep every big decision under a microscope.
That is where Bowness comes in. Columbus can sell Werenski on a team that is not dead in the water, but it still has to prove it can turn that middle ground into something stronger.
So Johnston's update lands in 2 parts. First, Werenski likely is not walking out the door before camp. Second, Columbus still has a real issue to solve before this contract gets too close to the finish line.
That is the truth of the moment. Zach Werenski staying to start the season is good news for the Blue Jackets, but it is not the end of the story. It is the pause before the next hard conversation.
Will Zach Werenski still finish next season with the Blue Jackets?
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