Blue Jackets General Manager Don Waddell held a pre-draft press conference this afternoon. He's certainly a busy man this week, but with the trade rumors flying around; the future of Zach Werenski was the main topic at hand.
Rather than putting his foot down and ending the rumors, Waddell may have actually fanned the flames:
Don Waddell on Zach Werenski: "I think for right now, there are matters that should stay internal. My plan is to meet with him in the near future. There is no definitive plan as of now." #CBJ
— Mark Scheig (@mark_scheig) June 25, 2026
That does not sound promising. We have spent the last two months talking about how important this summer would be for this organization and their future. To this point, Waddell has done virtually nothing to improve his roster for next season or beyond. Now, we get this half-hearted answer?
This is the first time we have gotten any direct insight from Waddell on this situation, in front of the cameras. Our hope was that he would be his usual upbeat self, talking about improving his roster and trying to compete. Instead, he seemed worn down and honestly, quite concerned.
#CBJ president/GM Don Waddell on the Zach Werenski situation re: a possible trade request coming: pic.twitter.com/NHrjwEbcBx
— Brian Hedger (@BrianHedger) June 25, 2026
Was this the worst press conference since the Mike Babcock fiasco?
The Blue Jackets have had some low moments over the last 7 years. I still believe the lowest point was when they hired-and subsequently moved on from-Mike Babcock as their head coach.
However, I think that bar can be dropped even lower if this offseason spins out of control. This team has had a lot going for it over the last couple of seasons, but still cannot get over the hump and make the playoffs.
That's despite having one of the game's most elite players patrolling the blue line. Zach Werenski chose to stick around in Columbus through the rebuild, knowing that he might be giving up some of the best years of his career to help this team remain relevant.
Throughout his time here, he has been a vocal champion for the city of Columbus and the Blue Jackets organization. Now, he's nearing the end of his prime, and with the Norris Trophy in his hand, he's desperate to win.
Who could blame him for that?
But, to this point, the organization has let him down. They are continuing to do so this summer. As teams around them find ways to improve and adapt, the Blue Jackets are squeezing their declining assets tight against their chest, not wanting to make this mistake of dealing away another young player.
That has to change. It's time for this team to stop looking towards the future. They need to swing a franchise-altering deal now, and they need to be looking at it not from the perspective of getting one talented player. They need to see it from the perspective of getting one talented player, and keeping the greatest player to ever wear the Union Blue to stick around beyond the next two seasons.
Ultimately, if Zach Werenski does go: what good are those future assets going to do?
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