Pierre LeBrun says Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski is drawing wide interest, with Dallas, Carolina, and Philadelphia among the early teams to watch.
The scope is the headline. LeBrun said at least a dozen teams will inquire over time, with those three out front. That's a massive market forming.
Look at the player behind it. Werenski is 28, a $9.583M cap hit, coming off 81 points. An elite, point-producing top-pairing defenseman.
That's exactly why the line forms. A blueliner of that caliber almost never becomes available, so a dozen teams circling is no exaggeration.
The Columbus angle frames it. The Blue Jackets finished 18th under Rick Bowness and Don Waddell, and LeBrun has tied Werenski's future to the situation, which is why he reads as a genuine trade candidate.
LeBrun named the early movers.
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Why a top-pairing defenseman draws a dozen calls
Start with Dallas. The Stars sit 3rd under Jim Nill, and adding a Werenski-level defenseman would be a real win-now swing, though their cap, with the Jason Robertson situation unresolved, is a question.
Carolina is a natural fit. The Hurricanes finished 2nd under Rod Brind'Amour, and a deep, defense-driven team adding points from the back end suits exactly how they play.
Philadelphia rounds out the early trio. Daniel Briere's Flyers, 11th and younger on the blue line, could use a true top-pairing anchor to lead the group.
That's three very different buyers, which is the point. A No. 1 defenseman fits contenders and risers alike, and that's how a market hits double digits.
Here's my read: if Columbus is genuinely open, this becomes one of the summer's biggest defenseman sweepstakes. Werenski is a legitimate number-one, and those almost never move, so the dozen-team interest LeBrun describes tracks completely.
So the market is only just forming, with heavyweights already circling.
Whether Waddell actually moves him, and which early name wins out, is the thread to watch. A dozen calls are coming. No deal is here yet.
Should Columbus trade Zach Werenski while his value is this high?
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