Werenski says he wants to stay with Blue Jackets

Zach Werenski said he wants to stay with the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

The Norris Trophy-winning defenseman said in a statement on Wednesday that talk of him wanting to leave the only NHL team he’s ever played for got “blown out of proportion.”

“I want to win and I want to do that in Columbus,” Werenski said. “As I’ve thought about things and discussed everything with my wife and family, we want to be in Columbus. It has been my home for the past 10 years and I have always been proud to be a Blue Jacket. We have the best fans in the NHL. I love my teammates and coaches and I’m looking forward to doing everything I can to get us back in the playoffs to compete for a Stanley Cup. Don and I are completely aligned on that and are excited about what’s to come with our team.”

Werenski has two years remaining on the six-year contract he signed with the Blue Jackets on July 29, 2021. He is eligible to sign a new contract with Columbus on July 1, 2027. 

Rumblings of Werenski wanting out of Columbus started last week, and last Thursday general manager Don Waddell said he planned to meet with the 28-year-old to see if he would commit to Columbus long term. 

“I think it's more of, 'Do you want to play here long term?'” Waddell said on June 25. “Obviously we can't get into contracts because he's still got two years left, but we just want to get a good sense of where he's at and we'll see how that goes and take it from there.”

On Wednesday, he said he and Werenski agreed that the GM could look for potential trades, but would discuss with the defenseman before any deals were completed. 

“Earlier this spring, Zach and I met and talked about his future with the Blue Jackets beyond his current contract and he indicated that he wasn’t sure what the future would hold with regards to staying with the club or possibly moving on,” Waddell said in the statement Wednesday. “During those discussions, we talked about me exploring opportunities to move him now and we all agreed if there was a deal to be made that I would bring it to him.”

That reportedly happened on Tuesday, when reports surfaced that the Blue Jackets had worked out a trade with the Dallas Stars, but Werenski rejected it as is his right because of a no-trade clause in his contract. 

“We found something that would work for the club and took it to him,” Waddell said. “After some time and discussions with his family, Zach informed us that he didn’t want to leave Columbus. He has invested a great deal in this organization and after coming close and falling short the past two seasons, his desire is to win here and get this team back into the playoffs.”

Werenski won the Norris Trophy as the best defenseman in the NHL this season after he had 81 points (22 goals, 59 assists) in 75 games while averaging 26:37 of ice time.

But the Blue Jackets (40-30-12) went 3-9-1 over their last 13 games and failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the sixth straight season. 

“The past two seasons have been very challenging ones, but also ones of growth for our team,” Waddell said. “Our goals from ownership on down and Zach’s goals are the same… to win now, return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs and win a Stanley Cup. Our city and fans deserve nothing less and we are all on the same page working towards that end. Zach has been a very important part of this organization and our community for a long time, and we couldn’t be happier that he will continue to be moving forward.”

Werenski has played his entire 10-season NHL career with Columbus since being the No. 8 pick at the 2015 NHL Draft and ranks second in team history with 465 points (135 goals, 330 assists) in 642 games; Rick Nash leads with 547 points (289 goals, 258 assists). Werenski also has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 29 playoff games and has expressed his desire to play in more significant games, such as those in the Olympics, where he had an assist on Jack Hughes’ goal that won the gold medal for Team USA on Feb. 22.