The Tampa Bay Lightning need help on the blue line, and that alone puts Zach Werenski on the radar. But this isn’t just about filling a hole. Werenski is 28, he’s the reigning Norris Trophy winner, and adding him would give Tampa Bay a legitimate long-term piece while keeping its window open.
The wrinkle is what Columbus wants back. According to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline, general manager Don Waddell is open to offers, but he’s not chasing prospects or draft picks.
He wants immediate help. For a Lightning team that doesn’t have a first-round pick until 2028, that at least gives them a path into the conversation.
Even so, getting from interest to an actual deal would not be simple. Werenski carries a cap hit of just over $9.5 million, so Tampa Bay would almost certainly have to send out a meaningful contract as part of the package.
That’s where things get messy. The Blue Jackets would need NHL-ready players who can help right away, and the Lightning would likely have to include more than just a couple of depth pieces.
At least one of the main pieces would probably need to come from the defense or the forward group, and possibly both. A third player could even be necessary given how aggressive the market tends to get. Tampa Bay’s defensive depth is already thin, so the bigger trade chips would more likely come from the offensive side.
Conor Geekie is one name that fits the bill. The 2022 first-round pick still hasn’t fully established himself in the NHL, but he just finished another strong season in the American Hockey League, where he averaged just over a point per game.
Jakob Pelletier is another possibility after being named the AHL’s Player of the Year and leading the league in scoring. Either one could be part of the conversation, and the Lightning have enough other prospects that moving one wouldn’t be impossible.
But the cap math matters here, too. To land Werenski, Tampa Bay would likely need to part with a real piece of its current offense to bring in a new cornerstone on defense. That’s the kind of move that would not go over well with fans, even if the end result made the roster better.
Anthony Cirelli looks like the most realistic name in that kind of framework. He’s a two-way center, and the Lightning already have center depth issues, so moving him would hurt.
Still, he feels like the most plausible option. Brandon Hagel and Jake Guentzel appear to be completely off limits.
Brayden Point would be as well, though his trade value is lower than those two right now.
Nikita Kucherov is the name that naturally hangs over any major Lightning trade discussion, but the sense around him is as locked down as it gets. His agent has been quiet, people close to the team are not talking, and the signs point toward an extension, at least in the offseason guessing game. If that doesn’t happen, the question of whether Tampa Bay would even consider him is one the article leaves hanging.
A Werenski deal probably wouldn’t require that kind of earthquake unless Columbus decided to swing big on its own end. More likely, Cirelli would be the cleaner path if Tampa Bay were to make a serious run at the defenseman.
So yes, it can be done. But doing it would probably mean a trade that jolts the room and leaves people around the league doing a double take. After four straight first-round exits, maybe that’s exactly the kind of move the Lightning would have to make.
In Other News...
Lightning Just Reshaped The Roster With One Stunning Day Of Moves
Julien BriseBois has made it clear the market is moving, and the Lightning are trying to keep pace without boxing themselves into a corner later. On a busy day of roster work, Tampa Bay added defenseman John Carlson on a two-year deal and brought in forwards Ilya Mikheyev and Jeffrey Viel to address needs up front, a set of moves that speaks to both urgency and planning as the front office tries to thread the needle between immediate help and long-term flexibility.
There was also a bigger ripple beyond the new additions, because the roster churn did not stop there. BriseBois is still navigating extension talks with Nikita Kucherov, and those discussions remain part of the larger picture as the Lightning reshape the lineup around him. With trade conversations picking up around the league, Tampa Bays latest flurry suggests more change could still be coming before the dust fully settles. [Read more 🡒]
Bill Guerin Just Put Wild Fans In A Familiar Trade Bind
The goaltending picture in Tampa Bay has started to shift as the Lightning brought in Dennis Hildeby, a move that gives them another option behind the starter while they work through the rest of the roster. Julien BriseBois has also made clear the club is still looking at ways to reshape the depth chart, and Jonas Johansson remains part of that conversation as the front office tries to find a fit.
There is a broader trade-market element to all of this, too, because the Lightning are weighing needs in the same kind of price-sensitive environment that has forced other teams to walk away from talks. BriseBois also pointed to the current defense group as the club sorts through its options, which leaves Tampa Bay balancing immediate roster needs against the cost of making a move before the market moves on without them. [Read more 🡒]
Lightning Finally Landed The Blue-Line Addition Fans Were Waiting For
The Lightning finally got their blue-line addition, landing John Carlson on a two-year deal after spending the day waiting on one of the markets most accomplished defensemen. For a team looking to strengthen the back end, Carlson brings a long track record of staying relevant at the NHL level, with more than 1,100 games and a rsum that includes a Stanley Cup and multiple league honors.
What makes the fit intriguing is the way the move came together, with Tampa Bay able to step in after Carlsons path took him from Washington to Anaheim before arriving in Florida. He was still productive in the stretch after that trade, and now the bigger question is how quickly the Lightning can fold a veteran of his caliber into their lineup and whether this is the final major piece they wanted on the blue line. [Read more 🡒]