Blue Jackets News & Rumors: Werenski, Potential Moves & More

We are exactly two weeks out from the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo. This time is known to some as the “calm before the storm.”

While there are certainly some big headlines in the hockey world such as the Oilers and Mike Babcock and who will be the next Maple Leafs’ head coach, teams are preparing their offseason plans. Scouting meetings are well underway to finalize their lists. It may seem calm on the outside. It’s anything but calm inside the walls.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have a lot on their plate. They have decisions to make on contracts. They have to decide their plan of attack for this offseason including who to target in trades and free agency. They’ll eventually need to hire a new head coach for the Cleveland Monsters. They have to finalize their TV plans for next season. Yes, the to-do list is longer than a CVS receipt.

But we are going to begin today with the big, overarching question that will surround the Blue Jackets. What does the future of Zach Werenski look like? One prominent insider wrote about it on Thursday.

Werenski’s Future

TSN’s and The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun wrote in his rumblings column about Werenski in the wake of Dylan Larkin’s trade request. Here’s what the insider had to say.

“But I can tell you as of Wednesday afternoon, I’m told there has not been any communication to the Columbus Blue Jackets indicating that kind of thing on Werenski, who has two more years on his deal,” LeBrun said.

“Now, having said that, I’m not ready to say that it couldn’t happen before the end of the summer, either, just based on the fact that at some point the team and player will want to talk about the future and whether or not he sees himself in Columbus long term. And I don’t know what the answer to that question would be.” (From NHL Rumblings: Larkin Trade List Expanding, plus Latest on Matthews, Werenski, Tuch, Lee, more, Pierre LeBrun, The Athletic, 6/10/2026)

Let’s talk through this one. Werenski is coming off a monster season that saw him win a pair of gold medals and a Norris Trophy. Yet, his team fell short of the playoffs despite being in the race since coach Rick Bowness took over.

That marked the sixth-consecutive season the Blue Jackets missed the playoffs. Recall at media day prior to the season that Werenski mentioned the importance of winning. He admitted missing what that felt like. Still, there was confidence from the room that the team was ready to take the next step.

There were days that it felt like that was coming to pass. Then the end-of-season collapse happened. Bowness had his rant after Game 82 questioning the culture. While the players didn’t all agree with what the coach said, they appreciated his emotion. Many of them hoped Bowness would return. He did.

That brings us to today. Werenski spoke to the media after winning the Norris Trophy. He said after taking some time to celebrate that win, it would be back to business getting ready for next season. He did say he wasn’t too focused on the future yet.

“I’ve honestly gotten away from the game for a while now,” Werenski said. “Back in the gym. I skated a little bit, but it’s been nice to just kind of decompress and not really focus about the future too much and just kind of enjoy these milestones. I feel like you can get so caught up in focusing on the next thing, you don’t really get to enjoy the moment. So I’ve really done that this summer. I really enjoyed being present with my family and now this. My focus will start to shift a little bit and start to focus on next year in the coming weeks and days.”

Motivation won’t be a question for Werenski, especially now that he’s a father.

“I don’t want to stop here. I feel like the second you get complacent is the second you get passed up. I want to keep playing for a long time. I want to play for my son, for my family. There’s so much motivation out there and I still haven’t won the ultimate goal, which is a Stanley Cup. I haven’t played in the playoffs or had much success in the playoffs ever. So there’s more motivation than ever for me to be even better next season to try and play in the playoffs.”

Two things here. First, as LeBrun said, there hasn’t been anything communicated to the Blue Jackets about a trade request in light of Larkin’s. Werenski has spent his entire career with the Blue Jackets and has had nothing but positive things to say about his time. Unless something comes out to the contrary, we have no reason to believe Werenski won’t be back with the Blue Jackets next season with two years left on his deal.

Second, assuming he plays with the Blue Jackets but they fail to make the playoffs again, then it becomes a fascinating question. It has always been our understanding the team has been preparing in advance of Werenski’s next contract. Now a Norris winner and with a rising cap, we could be talking $15 million/season on his next deal give or take.

That’s what makes next season paramount for the Blue Jackets. They have to start showing that they have the talent and ability to not only make the playoffs, but do damage in them. If Werenski isn’t convinced he could do that with the Blue Jackets, it’s fair to wonder what would come next.

For now though, everything appears to be status quo. The Blue Jackets face an important offseason that will have lasting ramifications on what the next several seasons will look like.

Werenski has said repeatedly on record how much he loves Columbus and the Blue Jackets. But another failed season seems to point to all bets being off going into the final year of his deal.

My take? The Blue Jackets would be wise to do right by Werenski to give him every opportunity to win now.

Potential Moves

Waddell knows what’s at stake. This offseason will be his opportunity to really put a stamp on the team now in going into his third season as President of Hockey Operations and General Manager.

The Hockey Writers is planning to speak to Waddell next week in advance of the draft. But he did speak to Jackets Insider Jeff Svoboda this week. This quote stood out as shared by Svoboda.

More to come, but as quiet as things are right now around the league as far as actual moves, the stage is being set with the draft and July 1 nearing.

Waddell: "Our goal is to get into the playoffs for sure. … I truly believe we’ll be able to do something." #CBJ https://t.co/YXX5qLTym8

— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) June 11, 2026

The key phrase is “I truly believe we’ll be able to do something.” It has never not been about not wanting to make bigger moves. It’s been about closing them.

The Blue Jackets were in on Noah Dobson. With more cap space and a desire to get better, it’s reasonable to believe the team will explore all their options.

But of course, fans want action. Waddell admitting he truly believes we’ll be able to do something is interesting. It sets the bar from an expectations standpoint.

The Blue Jackets would love to be able to add a top-six winger and a shutdown defenseman if possible. We’ll see what transpires over the next couple of weeks. But the GM is confident some moves will happen.

Side Dishes

• A couple of prospects are on the move. Owen Griffin was traded from Oshawa to Guelph in the OHL. He now gets the chance to play for a Memorial Cup with Guelph being the host.
• Nikolai Makarov will remain in Russia as he has re-signed to stay in the KHL.
• Defenseman Stanislav Svozil will be leaving the Monsters and will play in Czechia in 2026-27. He agreed to a two-year deal.
• Nothing new to report on Sergei Ivanov as of yet. His contract did expire at the end of May. We’ll see if there’s an update when we speak to Waddell next week.