According to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, Columbus Blue Jackets star defenceman Zach Werenski is open to a fresh start, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are the only Canadian team he’ll consider.

The Norris Trophy winner notified the team he won’t be re-signing a contract extension in Columbus once he’s current deal expires after the 2027-28 season. Werenski is owed $9.5 million AAV for the next two years, and there’s been plenty of speculation about his future in recent days.

“My understanding is that eight to 10 teams have already called the Blue Jackets. You can absolutely count the Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, San Jose Sharks and Hurricanes among the early teams with interest,” stated LeBrun. “The Stars’ and Flyers’ interest I would describe as keen. The one Canadian team that the Team USA Olympic gold medal winner might consider, by the way, is the Toronto Maple Leafs.”

Werenski and Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews are very close, and this could certainly play a factor into Werenski’s future plans. He owns a full no-movement clause until July 2027, when his contract changes to a 10-team trade list. Given how the season finished in Columbus, and how interim head coach Rick Bowness stated the team needed a culture change, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Werenski traded, it just would be very surprising to see the Leafs pull this off.

John Chayka isn’t shy to make a deal, but this would be on another level. Matthew Knies, Morgan Rielly, Easton Cowan, Ben Danford, Dennis Hildeby, the 2027 first-round pick, Nick Robertson would be among trade combinations that could come into play here.

Werenski would instantly give the Leafs a game-changer on the back end, and complete a significant facelift to Toronto’s blueline. For now, the Blue Jackets and Werenski’s camp continue to have dialogue, and we’ll see where the talks take them. If a trade materializes at some point this summer, don’t be shocked to see the Maple Leafs heavily involved.

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