The Dallas Stars came closer than anyone knew to landing Zach Werenski, and the price would have been steep.
On Monday’s edition of 32 Thoughts, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said a verbal framework had been reached that would have sent Thomas Harley to Columbus as the centerpiece of a package for the Blue Jackets defenseman, with additional players or picks possibly included on the back end.
Friedman said he wasn’t able to speak directly with anyone immediately involved, but the situation sounded muddled from the start. In his telling, some around the league believed Werenski was already aligned with a move to Dallas, while others viewed Columbus as using the Stars’ offer to gauge the market and see whether a better return might surface.
What Friedman did make clear is that the deal had moved beyond casual discussion. The sides had reportedly agreed in principle as early as Monday, then spent the following days working through the money and structure. It all fell apart when Werenski used his full no-move clause to block the trade.
Columbus, according to Friedman, couldn’t find a stronger offer than Dallas’ and tried to get Werenski to sign off on the move. That left him with a simple decision: accept the deal to Dallas or stay put in Columbus, especially with the next-best possibilities - believed to be the Toronto Maple Leafs or Tampa Bay Lightning - unable to match the Stars’ proposal.
Werenski ultimately wanted to be moved to an Eastern Conference team, and that preference shut the door on Dallas once he invoked his no-move protection.
The trade never got across the finish line, but if a deal for Werenski was going to happen in the near term, Friedman’s reporting makes one thing plain: Dallas was the team that got the closest to bringing in the reigning James Norris trophy winner.