Significant Development in Zach Werenski Trade Talks

There's been a significant development in the Zach Werenski situation in Columbus, which from all accounts, was getting quite nasty, leading up to Werenski vetoing a trade to Dallas on Tuesday. According to insider Darren Dreger, all sides have talked on Wednesday to calm things down. A trade "isn't on the radar" for now.

Sounds like Werenski, his agent Judd Moldaver, and CBJ GM Don Waddell spoke today in an effort to clear the air and calm things down. Werenski is comfortable going back to CBJ. Waddell could present him with a trade in the meantime, but that isn’t on the radar at this point.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) July 1, 2026

 "Werenski, his agent Judd Moldaver, and Columbus Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell spoke today in an effort to clear the air and calm things down," wrote Dreger. "Werenski is comfortable going back to (the Blue Jackets). Waddell could present him with a trade in the meantime, but that isn’t on the radar at this point."

The player and team each released statements today, and it certainly appears that Werenski will be staying put. 

pic.twitter.com/rSi1HhWV5N

— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) July 1, 2026

"Don and I have had very open and honest dialogue since the season ended," Werenski said. "Ideally, this wouldn’t have become such a public thing but that is the world we live in now and everything got blown out of proportion in my opinion. 

"I want to win and I want to do that in Columbus. 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."