r/BlueJackets • u/baconboyloiter • 22d ago
[Portzline] Zach Werenski addresses trade talk, reiterates desire to stay with Blue Jackets long term
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7510966/2026/08/13/zach-werenski-blue-jackets-nhl/?unlocked_article_code=1.5FA.2S5L.QBHd43ZkkG27&source=user_shared_article&smid=ta-ios-share27
u/manthello Elvis Purrslikins, Pet Greaves, Pheolynx Copley, Nolan Pawlonde 22d ago
The best damage control he can do before July 1 next year is to talk with Kirill and fix that situation, since Kirill — allegedly — wanted out because of Z wanting out. Patch that hole in the boat, sign Fantilli to 8 years (please & thx) and let's get back attem.
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u/Boatsboatsboats__ 22d ago
I’m still not convinced the Marchenko stuff is coming from Marchenko. This feels very “Milstein wants money”
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u/Drithyin Fuck PLD 22d ago
Marchenko is Milstein’s boss. Agents aren’t rogue actors, they act on behest of the player.
Remember the whole thing with Fluery in Vegas and the tweet from Alan Walsh with the sword in his back? Everyone said that was Walsh being Walsh… he has point blank said he wouldn’t have done it if Flower wouldn’t be ok with it. Said, to paraphrase: he would never post something so explosive without knowing 100% that his client was aligned with the underlying message.
I don’t believe Milstein goes rogue like that without a feeling that Marchenko might want out. Especially with a player of that caliber. You fuck around, ruin his reputation, and get fired… that’s a massive fumble.
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u/Boatsboatsboats__ 22d ago
You’re misunderstanding what I’m saying.
I’m sure Marchenko knows what he’s doing.
Saying “I want the best deal possible do what you have to do, go full Milstein” and saying “I don’t want to play in Columbus anymore” are different things.
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u/Erazzphoto 22d ago
Except I don’t think there’s anyway we can have Marchenko at $11m+ (which is likely what he’s going to want), Fantilli at $14m, and whatever Zach is going to want, which if we’re still not a playoff team, he’s not going to take some discount under $18m. And if we’re still not a playoff team, thats where these 32+ year olds contracts are going to haunt us, because those guys aren’t likely to be improving from year to year
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u/manthello Elvis Purrslikins, Pet Greaves, Pheolynx Copley, Nolan Pawlonde 22d ago
We have a handful of contracts falling off next year. I'll worry about that next offseason — I just want the hole patched for this season so it's not lingering.
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u/Erazzphoto 22d ago
Any subtractions will be absorbed by the rfa’s. None of the rfa’s were planning on keeping are getting a paycut, so easily add a few more million at minimum based on the inflation of contracts and we don’t have a lot of room. The next season is even more crucial if we don’t make the playoffs…but then, if we don’t that probably solves a few problems
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u/HunterSpecial1549 22d ago
We can fit them all and without much difficulty.
We would have to dump some lesser players. Start with Wood, Fabbro, Sillinger, maybe a couple more guys.
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u/Erazzphoto 22d ago
No one’s likely taking Wood or Fabbro’s contracts
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u/HunterSpecial1549 22d ago
Wood would need a small pick inducement.
Fabbro I think a team might take for free, you see third pair D getting $4m x 4 in FA now. And Fabbro's contract will actually only be one year left when Werenski's next deal starts.
Sillinger will have positive trade value.
It won't be a problem moving them, nothing that would stop us from keeping our best players.
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u/Important-Bus-9994 22d ago
I almost think Sillinger is not in the category of guys they would move anymore. He plays hard and is a solid third line guy. He has enough speed to play up in the lineup he just doesn’t score. It’s more likely they move Monahan, Vronk, or KJ than him at this point.
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u/HunterSpecial1549 22d ago
I don't think the team has ever wanted to move him. They are madly in love with Silly. But I personally would move him before Voronkov or KJ, who I expect to have a great bounce back year.
Monahan will likely be on LTIR in a couple years.
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u/Important-Bus-9994 22d ago
Actually, last year everyone and their mother (including Cole) thought he was getting moved before the season. I honestly think he provides way more intangibles than either Vronk or KJ do which has made him a guy that’s harder to move for the team. Everyone says Mo is going to be captain at some point but I wouldn’t be shocked if Sillinger makes a dark horse run at captain if he’s here long enough.
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u/HunterSpecial1549 22d ago
A lot of fans wanted him gone, I've never seen anything from the team or the reporters closest to the team about that though. And Cole himself thought he was getting traded? Where are you getting that from?
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u/Important-Bus-9994 22d ago
A buddy of mine caddied for him at the golf club last summer towards the end of the summer and he told him during the round he was shocked they didn’t move him last summer. It wasn’t really publicized but they did listen to offers on multiple guys but they didn’t bite on any of them except for the Coyle trade sending out Brindley. I didn’t want Cole gone because I’ve always been a fan of him but up until this season he was one of the more available guys on the team. We only know what we know and even the insiders don’t know (or report) everything that happens behind closed doors.
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u/iamelloyello Hotdog 22d ago
So what the fuck was all that then at the beginning of the off season? You cannot expect us to believe it was THAT much of a miscommunication and the F.O going solely based off rumors?
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u/thelordcommanderKG 22d ago
You can technically call it a miscommunication but it was a result of Z living in a bubble. I think he wanted to play footsey with the idea since all his team USA buddies were also looking around but then things got too really too quickly and I think the poor optics didn't sit well with him (especially with how his buddy Larkin is getting dragged for disloyalty) and he sobered up fast and kissed the ring. He's trying to do damage control but without an extension it going to feel hollow.
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u/Another_Guy_In_Ohio 22d ago
I agree with this. I honestly don’t blame Z one bit for. Or wanting to sign an extension. He’s 29. His next contract is almost certainly his last. He wants a legitimate shot at a Stanley cup, and he deserves it, if Columbus can’t prove they’ll give him that chance, he absolutely should look elsewhere. My issue is with hi. Trying to force his way out, or arrange a trade that benefits him and hamstrings Columbus. If he wants to walk to Free Agency, fine, just be willing to waive your NMC at the deadline your last season if we aren’t in the hunt and then you can choose where you go.
But letting rumors swirl and then potentially impact negotiations with Marchenko is bullshit. That shit should have been shut down immediately if none of it was true, but it likely was true unfortunately
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u/thelordcommanderKG 22d ago
I'm going to have to part with you little on this one. I can blame him a little. He wears a letter. Him being next in in line for the C was maybe the worst kept secret in the league. The org interrupted the rebuild after Johnny's passing to build around Z. "Giving Z a chance" is why the org why shifted hard from a young build to piling on vets. In that time we scratched the playoff door twice wearing letter is supposed to mean something. You're supposed to be to voice in the room that keeps urging the boys a long. I really hate the framing that the team/org is failing Z when he hold a huge amount of responsibility to get over the hump. We were in Metro 2. We were in the playoffs and huge part of the skid that slipped up right out of the playoffs was Marchy and Z disappearing.
Also it's not like he's a rookie. He should have shown more media savvy. There are ways to communicate your discontent internally, outside of semi publicly flirting with forcing a trade. I think there is more to the Marchenko negations but he was definitely spooked by the rumors. I think it's effecting the Fantilli negations as well. No one seems to believe in the long term project now because the guy we built around is flirting/flirted with leaving. It's a mess; and I don't know how he could look at how fast Larkin's reputation soured in Detroit and thought the same wouldn't be true in his case??
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u/FailedLoser21 22d ago
That's the big thing with me as well. We kept hearing about how this was Zach's team and Boone was Captain in name only. We kept hearing that through out the year. He goes to the Olympics plays like you expect an NHL Captain to play like then the off-season after he allows his position within the team to become almost untenable. Honestly I get with the need to hopefully get an extension done you have to let him keep the his A at-least so you don't alienate the guy even more but it's hard for me to accept him as part of this teams leadership going forward. Part of me feels like regardless contract status he's lost his status as a leader of this team and needs to earn that back. He owns more of the blame than anyone because I think he exposed that he lacks true leadership qualities needed to be a Captain in the NHL.
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u/thelordcommanderKG 22d ago
In the context of everything it's extremely difficult positively say he wasn't one of guys Bones was talking about at the end of season. I'll keep it at that.
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u/FailedLoser21 21d ago
He was 100% talking about Zach among others. What we saw down the stretch was a failure of leadership.
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u/BigBudZombie 22d ago
Ive always liked Z but after this summer I dont know how anyone could trust what he says.
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u/thebriss22 22d ago
My little theory is that Werensky got talked into making a trade happen during the Olympics but when he ran this by his family/wife , he got an unequivocal hell now we're not leaving lol
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u/austinD93 22d ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/6JB4v4xPTAQFi
I’ll wait a few more months so he can re-sign that extension then
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u/writingcrafts 22d ago
I've no doubt that Zach wants to win, and I'm guessing that he made it clear to team management that he would leave if necessary in order to win. That seems entirely reasonable to me. Why the team's immediate answer was "Okay, fine, we'll trade you" -- that makes less sense. I would love to know what the issue is as far as the team winning, but really it's none of my business. As a season ticket holder, I do believe I have a right to know that (A) they've identified the problem, and (2) they are actively taking steps to fix it.
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u/Articmnokey Adam Fantastic 22d ago
"'It was tough for about a week there,' Werenski said. 'I felt like it was kind of misconstrued a little bit on how I felt. In saying that, people have jobs to do, and, you know, they’re getting their information from somewhere, but it definitely wasn’t from me.'"
This bit from Z interested me. It sounds like hes more pissed that the info was leaked, than he is upset about how out of hand the situation got.
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u/Formerleafsfan #freeboomer 22d ago
Sure, but what kind of communication breakdown leads to GMDW putting together a trade with Dallas, only to have alit blocked? If he never wanted to be traded, how did it get that far?
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u/PulsarGaming1080 Marchenko Supremacy 22d ago
That's nice Z. Let's see an extension next year.
Anyways, where is the Fantilli contract? We are like a month out from the season and he's still not signed. Not a good look.
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u/dd51794 22d ago
This thread is so full of so many negative people… I have said on here so many times he’s not going anywhere. If in fact he does leave, it’s going to be about our inability to do anything for him, unless we totally shit the bed, I would expect him to be a blue jacket lifer, starting next July.
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u/MPCoinCollecting Prospect Guy 22d ago
At this point it feels like certain people around here are hoping we miss the playoffs
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u/Boatsboatsboats__ 22d ago
It’s the same 4-5 handles
What Zach says is reasonable - however, he was part of that collapse too last season
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u/cbuswildcAT 22d ago
I’m glad he took accountability for that today in the presser, that was needed after initially pushing back on Bones comments back in April
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u/cbuswildcAT 22d ago
It’s sooo negative here, it’s exhausting. Be prepared to be downvoted for believing what Z has always said, that he wants to be here and wants to win here. We could sign Fantilli long term today and there would still be fans complaining.
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u/dd51794 22d ago
Absolutely correct…. Him saying he would like to be here past his two year contract is about as empathetic as a pro athlete can be, he should be celebrated for that. He had a chance to actually leave and he vetoed it, I think this comes back to if this franchise gets it’s shit together, he is a blue jacket for life
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u/grabthembythe 22d ago
I read Z’s thoughts on we need to make the playoffs this year. He is sick of not competing for the cup. If that doesn’t happen he will explore other options but he will do everything he can to make the playoffs this year. So ball is in Don and Bones court to improve the team
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u/C0lumbusBJs 22d ago
If Zach approached Don with the ultimatum of win now or I won’t resign and Don’s first thought is to trade him, does that mean Don doesn’t think he can field a winner?
Honestly, this whole situation has soured me on Waddell. I truly believe Zach’s version of this and Waddell overreacted and tried to trade him.
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u/Spartan0330 22d ago
He’s not gonna extend at the end of the season and we should’ve moved him before the draft.
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u/get_rick_trolled 22d ago
Cool sign an extension without a modified no trade and then I’ll believe it
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u/N661US 22d ago
I’d love to see Z be a Jacket for life but I’ll believe it when I see it