- Pierre LeBrun says the Lightning are a legit suitor for Zach Werenski
- Tampa Bay was not on The Athletic’s original list of eight landing spots
- Read below for where the Werenski trade market stands before free agency
The Tampa Bay Lightning want in on Zach Werenski.
Pierre LeBrun made sure everyone knew it. The Athletic insider added Tampa Bay to the growing list of teams chasing the Columbus defenseman, and he wanted it on the record that the Lightning are a real suitor and not a long shot. Tampa wasn’t even on the original list of eight possible landing spots.
Here’s LeBrun laying out where things stand:
Columbus isn’t shopping Werenski so much as listening. GM Don Waddell has started taking calls, knowing his reigning Norris Trophy winner is unlikely to sign another deal in Ohio once this one runs out.
Werenski still has two years left on his contract, so there’s no need to rush. The Blue Jackets would rather get ahead of the situation than watch their best player walk for nothing down the road.
This is a defenseman coming off the best season of his career, the one that finally landed him the Norris. Players like that don’t shake loose often, which explains why half the league is calling.
The Stars, Flyers, and Hurricanes were already in on him before Tampa Bay entered the picture. Now the Lightning join a sweepstakes that keeps adding names by the day.
Fitting a cap hit north of $9.5 million onto Tampa’s books would take some creativity. The Lightning have made bigger swings work before, and a top-pairing left shot with a Norris on his shelf is the kind of player they chase.
Free agency opens July 1, and the Werenski market should heat up right alongside it.
