Zach Werenski holds the power and his next team might have just been revealed

Pierre LeBrun confirmed the Blue Jackets have begun listening to offers on the reigning Norris Trophy winner.

Eight to ten teams have already called, with Dallas and Philadelphia showing the sharpest early interest.

Toronto entered the conversation when LeBrun noted it would be the one Canadian market Werenski might consider.

That specific carve-out matters more than it initially appears, because American stars almost never open the door to Canadian markets at all.

Columbus GM Don Waddell hasn't even formally sat down with Werenski yet. That meeting is scheduled to happen now that the draft is complete, and according to Chris Johnston, Werenski is perfectly willing to stay and play out his contract if no trade materializes.

The reason isn't complicated. Werenski won Olympic gold with Auston Matthews on Team USA in Milan this past February, assisted on Jack Hughes' overtime winner, and spent two months alongside a player who wants to win a championship as badly as anyone in the league.

That shared experience changes the personal calculus for a player who otherwise has no natural reason to consider a Canadian market.

The Olympic bond is the real driver behind Toronto being the one exception on Werenski's list.

Waddell needs more than a willing buyer. Werenski posted 81 points in 75 games at a $9.58 million cap hit with two years remaining, and Columbus will not trade its all-time defensive scoring leader for anything short of a historic return.

Toronto is a legitimate contender for his services. But Werenski hasn't requested a trade, hasn't confirmed he's leaving, and retains complete control over where this situation actually goes.

The headline got ahead of the story. Until Werenski formally approves a destination and Columbus finds a return worth accepting, this is still a market-sounding exercise.

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