Columbus could lose its US gold medal and Norris Trophy winning defenseman to one Canadian team

Pierre LeBrun reported Sunday that Werenski would accept a trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs - making the Leafs the one Canadian team he'd waive his no-trade clause for.

That detail is getting all the attention. It shouldn't be.

The actual story is sitting in Columbus.

The Blue Jackets watched their franchise defenseman post 22 goals and 81 points, win the Norris Trophy, and quietly signal he has no intention of staying long-term.

Columbus has missed the playoffs six consecutive seasons.

Werenski, who turns 29 in July, has two years remaining on a $9.58 million cap hit. GM Don Waddell said publicly he has not yet met with the player, adding only that "matters should stay internal."

That language is not confidence from a front office holding a Norris winner. It's containment.

The Toronto Maple Leafs enter this summer asset-poor, with GM John Chayka working through a rebuild following a 32-36-14 finish and a missed postseason.

The Dallas Stars are also in these conversations, and per reports, willing to include Thomas Harley - a young, cost-controlled defenseman - to sweeten a Columbus return.

The Leafs cannot match that kind of offer without moving Morgan Rielly, who posted a -18 rating this season.

Whether Chayka has the assets to outbid Dallas in this auction is a legitimate question.

A player like Werenski does not quietly signal his exit for nothing. Six straight playoff misses forced this decision, not a contract dispute.

Columbus didn't just fail to keep Werenski - they failed him. He gave the Blue Jackets a decade, won the Norris Trophy, and they never gave him a playoff game.

The real offseason story is not which market lands the Norris winner. It is which franchise spent a decade failing the player who earned it.

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