Photo credit: Zach Werenski by All-Pro Reels | flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0
The official start of a new season on July 1 is typically a time when teams sign players whose contracts have just expired, trying to set themselves up for a run to the post-season. This time, it’s less about the players who need new contracts, a class that doesn’t include many big names, and more about potential trades, with some of the game’s elite talent being mentioned in rumours.
One of those players is reigning Norris Trophy-winner Zach Werenski, who is not committed to sticking with the Columbus Blue Jackets long-term. He reportedly vetoed a trade to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday, so it seems his departure from Columbus is inevitable. Two of the teams he’s most interested in moving to are reported to be the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning. Should either of those teams be the destination, seven of the 14 defencemen who received Norris votes in 2025-26 would call the Atlantic Division home, setting up what was already the most competitive division last year to be a season-long fight just to qualify for the post-season.
Facing that reality, Kent Hughes will feel the need to improve his team, something he did leading up to and through the NHL draft. It’s probable that any trade would require an overpay, not just to land the wanted player but to beat the offers of rival clubs to keep them from getting stronger. The eye-raising moments might not be dollar figures committed to free agents as we usually see on July 1, but the number and quality of assets spent to get star players already under contract.
Top free agents available
(per TSN)
Sergei Bobrovsky
Jacob Trouba
John Carlson
Anders Lee
Mason Marchment
Anthony Mantha
Scott Laughton
Michael Bunting
Mats Zuccarello
Mario Ferraro
John Klingberg
Viktor Arvidsson
Trade bait board
(per Sportsnet)
Zach Werenski
Connor Hellebuyck
Matthew Knies
Owen Tippett
Darnell Nurse
Dylan Larkin
Jason Robertson
Kirill Marchenko
Vincent Trocheck
Jordan Binnington
Morgan Rielly
Alexander Nikishin