“I think it's more of, 'Do you want to play here long term?'” Waddell said Thursday. “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.”
Werenski, voted as the top defenseman in the League this season after he had 81 points (22 goals, 59 assists) in 75 games with the Blue Jackets, cannot sign a new contract with Columbus until July 1, 2027.
If he were to be traded, he would become the latest member of the gold medal-winning United States team at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics to switch teams.
Defenseman Quinn Hughes was traded to the Minnesota Wild by the Vancouver Canucks before the Olympics on Dec. 12, 2025, and Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk was traded to the Florida Panthers on Sunday.
Waddell said he spoke recently with Werenski’s agent, Judd Moldaver, and that a meeting with him and Werenski will be held shortly after the 2026 NHL Draft on Friday and Saturday.
“I think for right now, there are matters that should stay internal,” Waddell said. “My plan is still to meet with Zach here in the near future and see where he's at but we've had some conversations with his agent, but there's been no definitive plan, for sure.”
Werenski, who has played his entire 10-season NHL career with the Blue Jackets, is second on Columbus' all-time scoring list with 465 points (135 goals, 330 assists) in 642 games; Rick Nash leads all scorers in Blue Jackets history with 547 points (289 goals, 258 assists).
Werenski also has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 29 Stanley Cup Playoff games, and has expressed his desire to play in more big games such as those in the Olympics and the World Championships, which the U.S. won in 2025.
Columbus, which has failed to qualify for the playoffs for six straight seasons, has the No. 14 pick in the Draft but is listening to offers even though Werenski’s future is undecided.
“The draft does not have an impact on what we will do with him,” Waddell said.
The underlying message is that how the Blue Jackets do next season may impact Werenski’s plans.
"We're still trying to make some deals to make our team better, and that may include the draft pick that we have at 14,” Waddell said. “Our goal hasn't changed from the season's end. We know we want to try to be better.
“We have a lot of balls in the air right now trying to upgrade our forward group. You never know until a deal is done, but we're hoping we can make some moves that strengthen our offensive abilities.”
