How the Lightning Can Trade for Zach Werenski

The Tampa Bay Lightning are in need of a defenseman this offseason. Naturally, this need, along with their status as a contender, has made them a notable candidate to acquire Zach Werenski.

Bringing in the reigning Norris Trophy winner from the Columbus Blue Jackets goes beyond the need at the position. He’s 28 years old, and he could provide a long-term boost to a team looking to keep the window open.

What also helps is the type of return the Blue Jackets are looking for. According to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline, general manager Don Waddell is listening to offers. He doesn’t want prospects or picks. He wants immediate help.

For a team that has no first-round picks until 2028, that should be music to the Lightning’s ears. The first immediate thought is that it gives them a fighting chance to net the talented defenseman’s services.

Even then, when looking deeper, it could be more complicated than that to put a serious deal together. Let’s take a look at how doable this acquisition is for the Lightning.

What Could ‘Immediate Help’ Entail?

Obviously, this immediate help would mean that the Blue Jackets receive NHL-ready players who can make a legitimate impact. While some depth in the trade would be helpful, the Lightning would likely have to provide some kind of notable name in the trade to get a Norris Trophy winner.

By name, the assumption would be an NHL-ready player who can be a long-term part of the core. Much of the Lightning’s core is older, so it would require a younger piece or two that the Blue Jackets agree can fit that description.

There is also the issue of the cap hit. Werenski’s is just over $9.5 million. Part of the deal would likely have to include an impact player with a moderate cap hit heading to Columbus. While the cap is going up, there isn’t as much of a cushion separating them from further headaches.

Who Could Be Candidates to Include in a Deal?

My gut reaction would be that at least one player would have to be a defenseman and another would have to be a forward. Knowing the hectic NHL market and the tendency to overpay, a third player may have to be included. The Lightning’s defensive depth is already thin, so the heavier-hitting pieces would have to be on the offensive side.

Conor Geekie is one young player coming off a solid season in the NHL. The 2022 first-round pick has yet to find his footing in the NHL, but he’s coming off another good season in the American Hockey League (AHL), where he averaged just over a point per game.

Jakob Pelletier is another candidate after being named the AHL’s Player of the Year and leading the league in scoring. Both could be included in a deal. With other promising prospects in the system, it would be easy to move one of them.

However, it can only be one of those two for a major reason: the salary cap. To get Werenski, the Lightning would likely have to be willing to take a swing and send off a key piece of the offense to get a new key piece for the defense.

There is no answer that fans would be okay with. It doesn’t matter if it makes sense or not.

A Swing Fans Wouldn’t Want to See

The reality is that if a major trade, such as acquiring Werenski, is going to happen, a current part of the core will likely have to leave as part of the deal. It’s the only way to make room for that type of cap hit, and it’s likely the only way the Lightning can fully meet the criteria of providing the Blue Jackets with immediate help.

People would be mad, even if it meant that the team was in better shape overall. It would be fair. Werenski is now one of the top defensemen in the game. That means the value is rightfully high. Some will call it an overpay, but that’s the reality of not having draft or prospect capital as an option.

The most likely option in this case would be Anthony Cirelli. Center depth is already an issue, and it wouldn’t be ideal to part with a two-way forward. However, he is the most realistic to move. Brandon Hagel and Jake Guentzel seem completely off the table. Brayden Point would be too, but his trade value is also at a low point right now compared to the other two.

What about Nikita Kucherov? The gut reaction is that he’s untouchable, but the discussion of him being traded is something I can’t help but humor. I’ve already discussed what trading him could look like, so I’ll keep it short.

Anything related to Kucherov’s status is as airtight as anything out there. His agent is quiet. Sources close to the team won’t speak on it with insiders. Signs point to an extension, at least in the offseason guessing game, but if it’s not happening, do the Lightning think about it?

It probably wouldn’t happen in a Werenski trade, unless the Blue Jackets turn this situation into an opportunity to take a big swing and include more on their end. Trading Cirelli would be much closer to an even swap, requiring the Lightning to give up less, too.

When really diving deep into acquiring Werenski, the short answer is that it’s doable for the Lightning. However, making it happen would likely take a splash that would leave some baffled. After four consecutive first-round exits, maybe something that rocks the hockey world could be what the Lightning need.