Zach Werenski’s voice inside the Columbus Blue Jackets’ locker room appears to have mattered just as much as the trade offer itself.
According to David Pagnotta on the “DFO Rundown” podcast, Columbus had a real chance to move Kirill Marchenko in a deal with the Montreal Canadiens, but the package on the table was built around prospects and future assets - and that created a problem for the Blue Jackets’ current direction.
Pagnotta said Columbus simply could not afford to take another step backward while Werenski is pushing for something more immediate.
"If [Columbus] wanted to bring in a futures package...they had that opportunity; they couldn't do that for a variety of reasons, Zach Werenski is one; they wanna make the playoffs."
That helps explain why a Canadiens offer that may have looked strong on paper never got across the finish line. Kent Hughes was prepared to send promising future pieces to Columbus, but Don Waddell needed to come away with established NHL talent to keep his leadership group on board.
The key part of that leadership group is Werenski, who, at this stage of his career, does not want to sit through another long rebuild. The Blue Jackets’ No. 1 defenseman wants results now, and that stance made a futures-heavy return for Marchenko a tougher sell inside the organization.
So while Montreal had a serious shot at landing Marchenko, Columbus’ decision was shaped by more than the value of the offer. Werenski’s push for the playoffs helped tilt the balance toward a different kind of return - one that fit the locker room’s timeline, not just the front office’s.
In Other News...
Canadiens Suddenly Have A New Lineup Concern Beyond Demidov
The Canadiens lineup picture has taken on a little more haze heading into a busy stretch against the Nashville Predators and Detroit Red Wings. Demidov is already out with an injury, and Oliver Kapanen has also been missing from several practices, leaving head coach Martin St-Louis with more uncertainty than he likely wanted at this point in the schedule.
Kapanens absence has added another layer of intrigue because the Canadiens have not offered much to explain it, and the timing matters with games coming up quickly. St-Louis now has to keep sorting out combinations and depth options while trying to cover for Demidovs absence, and the clubs next few days may say a lot about how flexible the roster really is. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens May Have Found The Answer To A Big Top-Line Debate
Juraj Slafkovskys place in the Montreal Canadiens lineup has been one of the more interesting debates around the clubs recent stretch, and it took a twist when he was shifted onto the top line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. The move came with Ivan Demidov sidelined, forcing the Canadiens to adjust their forward combinations and giving Slafkovsky a chance to show how he fits beside the teams two most established finishers.
The appeal is obvious: Slafkovskys size, puck protection and improving play can help drive a line that already has skill to burn, while the alternative is sending him back down to a second unit where he might carry more of the puck and the playmaking load. Montreal now has a decision to make about whether the experiment is a short-term fix or something worth keeping in place once the roster is back closer to full strength. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Face A Goalie Decision They Didn't Expect
A routine practice took an unwelcome turn for the Canadiens when Sam Montembeault went down with a non-contact right leg injury, and the team is expected to update his status later. For a club that had not exactly planned on revisiting its crease chart this way, the timing matters, especially with the goaltending picture still being shaped by what Jakub Dobe does with his opportunities.
Jacob Fowler is the name that naturally enters the conversation if Montreal needs help from Laval, where the young netminder has already made a strong impression in limited looks at both the NHL and AHL levels. If Montembeault is sidelined, the Canadiens could be looking at more than a short-term patch, with a possible extended evaluation in the crease depending on how Dobe holds up in the meantime. [Read more 🡒]