COLUMBUS, Ohio — For most of the week, Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell said he wasn’t engaging rival GMs who called to discuss the availability of star defenseman Zach Werenski.By Friday, however, perhaps when the inevitability of what he’s up against began to take hold, Waddell reluctantly started to listen to offers, according to league sources who spoke anonymously about trade talks that aren’t public.Waddell never anticipated trading Werenski, but that’s a distinct possibility now that the reigning Norris Trophy winner has indicated he doesn’t plan to re-sign with the Blue Jackets when his current contract expires after the 2027-28 season.The Blue Jackets got a double dose of bad news Friday, when the agent for goal-scoring winger Kirill Marchenko informed ESPN/NHL Network’s Kevin Weekes that he too isn’t likely to sign a next contract with Columbus.Marchenko is under contract for next season and a restricted free agent after that, which makes Werenski’s situation — an unrestricted free agent in 2028 — a more urgent matter.As much as Werenski’s desire to move on could hurt the Blue Jackets’ trade leverage, management doesn’t have to rush into a deal. Columbus should be able to sell high on the reigning Norris champ, who has had back-to-back MVP-worthy seasons. Werenski has established himself as one of the best in the world, and his trade return and next contract should reflect that.Waddell has made it clear he’s not interested in trading Werenski for “futures.” That is, there may be high-end draft picks and prospects included in the deal, but the centerpiece of any return must be NHL player(s).It’s not unlike another unfortunate chapter in Blue Jackets history, when captain Rick Nash asked to be traded during the 2011-12 season. The GM in those days, Scott Howson, insisted on a return that included NHL roster players, and he landed centers Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov in a major haul from the New York Rangers.Waddell, like Howson back then, does not want to take a step backward with his current roster, which he thinks can compete for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.Werenski has a full no-move clause until July 1, 2027, then a 10-team no-trade clause for the final year of his contract. In other words, he has complete control for now — and partial control later — over where he will land.The following eight destinations satisfy two criteria: First, they have established NHL players they could send to Columbus, and second, they are seen as preferred cities, given the current climate of the league.Here goes.Philadelphia FlyersThe Flyers would like it to be known that they’re all in for Werenski. They took a run at Bowen Byram before the Buffalo Sabres traded him to the Chicago Blackhawks. We’re just not seeing a fit here. And don’t start with Matvei Michkov. Not happening.The Blue Jackets would almost certainly ask for young forwards Porter Martone or Tyson Foerster in return, who Kevin Kurz thinks are untouchable. But they’d also need a defenseman in return. Not Rasmus Ristolainen, and Travis Sanheim doesn’t really move the needle, either.If the summer gets long and this situation gets messy, maybe Waddell will have to lower his asking price or consider a more futures-heavy package. The Flyers’ prospect pool ranked eighth this past spring before the draft, and the team is fully stocked on draft picks over the next three years. But it’s hard to imagine that will be necessary.The Flyers’ interest is understandable because this team desperately needs a true No. 1 defenseman to lead the way. What’s hard to see is a pathway to a deal.Dallas StarsDallas technically doesn’t need Werenski, not with stars like Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley. But contenders constantly have to find ways to get better — especially teams that keep falling short in their playoff window. Adding a game breaker like Werenski would be one way to do that.However, that would likely come at a high cost that centers around Harley, because there are only so many prime minutes to distribute among defenders. Plus, the Stars probably shouldn’t have almost $30 million tied up in three defensemen.Harley is super skilled and shows a ton of promise, but he isn’t MVP-caliber, so this would be an upgrade on the ice for Dallas at the expense of cost certainty. Harley’s eight-year extension kicks in this upcoming season, and there are rising costs to consider in the long term with Werenski up in two years and Heiskanen the following summer. But in the interim, it would actually save the Stars about $1 million in cap space, and Dallas could use every penny available with the Jason Robertson situation still looming.Despite some inconsistent performances this year and some poor puck luck in the playoffs, Harley could be a strong fit for the Blue Jackets. At 24, his age would click with Columbus’ changing timeline in a post-Werenski world; so would the long-term security of his extension. Harley’s contract also doesn’t carry any trade protection for the next three years, which could be helpful.Carolina HurricanesThe Hurricanes acquired the rights to defenseman John Carlson from the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, with the intent to sign the 36-year-old before he hits free agency Wednesday. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported that the bar for Carlson’s next contract could be the $10 million mark.That might signal that the reigning Stanley Cup champions are set heading into next season. It doesn’t make sense for Carolina to disrupt its dressing room or lineup too significantly this summer, but the team might make an exception for Werenski.The Hurricanes’ return package would almost certainly start with Alexander Nikishin, an RFA who is looking for a significant raise this summer. He had 11 goals, 22 assists and 33 points, went plus-18 and was named to the NHL All-Rookie team last season.Ideally, the Blue Jackets could add some young forward talent, too. Seth Jarvis, Logan Stankoven or Jackson Blake would be the dream, but all three are probably untouchable (and Jarvis is out for 4 to 6 months after surgery). But can a team even have that many untouchables when trying to trade for a player of Werenski’s caliber?And would the Blue Jackets even consider trading Werenski within the Metropolitan Division? That could up the ask even more.San Jose SharksIf the motivation behind Werenski’s exit from Columbus is the desire to play on a bona fide Stanley Cup contender, the Sharks might not be the dream destination. But San Jose has quickly become one of the NHL’s most exciting rising teams. Being part of a team on the brink of achieving something special, under a general manager who has been cooking in recent seasons, could be enticing.The Sharks aren’t a Werenski away from contending just yet, but this team nearly reached the playoffs last season on Macklin Celebrini’s back. Another year of development for this core, plus an elite defenseman, could be enough to get San Jose back into the playoffs.Defense is the most pressing area of need for the Sharks, who only have two blueliners — Dmitry Orlov and Sam Dickinson — under contract for next season at the NHL level. Drafting Keaton Verhoeff and Ryan Lin in the first round will help elevate San Jose’s defensive core in the future, but it will take time for them to become impact players in the NHL.Until then, the Sharks have a clear need for a player like Werenski and a ton of cap space to absorb his current hit and next contract. Even after dealing William Eklund, San Jose has a deep enough asset pool to send an up-and-coming star back to Columbus.Toronto Maple LeafsHow many of these Team USA group chat players aren’t willing to play in Canada, or are players just pressing to move to contenders with their Olympic teammates? If the former isn’t a concern (and LeBrun noted it may not be in his latest column), maybe Werenski would want to reunite with Team USA captain Auston Matthews.Toronto already signed Darren Raddysh to an eight-year deal, and he will presumably take over the top unit with his bomb of a shot. That may not preclude the Leafs from aiming higher, though.Matthew Knies would likely be the cornerstone of a return package. His last season was shaky below the surface on both ends of the ice, but the 23-year-old still projects to have an incredibly bright future if time away from Craig Berube’s offense-crushing system gets him back on track. Players like Easton Cowan, plus a first-rounder, could help sweeten the deal.For Toronto, the risks of such a deal are that Werenski might not want to sign there long-term, or that adding him doesn’t entice Matthews to stay, or that Knies glows up in Columbus. The reward, though, is a chance to return to contention after a disastrous 2025-26 season.Boston BruinsBoston already has an elite core of David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman. But imagine how much stronger that would be with Werenski in the fold: A true quarterback of a defenseman with vision, puck-moving play and power-play skills. Imagine what the Bruins’ top four would be with Werenski and McAvoy opposite each other to spread the wealth.With the JJ Peterka deal Friday night, Boston finally got its offseason rolling. But if this team is serious about contending again in the near future, management has to be aggressive and creative this summer.The problem is that the Bruins’ asset pool isn’t very deep. This team generally has no issue wheeling and dealing its picks and prospects for NHL-caliber talent, but that isn’t what Columbus is looking for, so Boston may not have enough needle movers to swing a trade of this magnitude. Instead, the Bruins just have a series of pieces: Pavel Zacha, Mason Lohrei, Matthew Poitras, Fraser Minten and so on. That probably isn’t enough.Anaheim DucksIs Pat Verbeek ready to push the pedal down on this rebuild? He’s already made two moves on defense this offseason, trading Olen Zellweger and the rights to Carlson. Radko Gudas and Jacob Trouba are headed to free agency on July 1. There’s some work being done on the Ducks’ back end.Jackson LaCombe has already ascended, in most eyes, to No. 1 status. Would the addition of Werenski be overkill? It’s a problem most coaches would love to figure out.The Ducks would almost certainly have to part with one of their promising forwards. Cutter Gauthier, coming off a 41-goal season, is off-limits, as is top center Leo Carlsson. But what about Beckett Sennecke, who had 23 goals and 37 assists as a 20-year-old last season? As for a defenseman coming back to Columbus, Pavel Mintyukov would make sense as part of a package.The irony here would be rich. Yes, the Ducks made the playoffs last season, knocking off the Edmonton Oilers in the first round and losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in the second. But the Blue Jackets and Ducks each had 92 points last season.Detroit Red WingsIf Dylan Larkin hadn’t requested a trade out of Detroit, the Red Wings would have been one of the most interesting teams on this list. Werenski’s ties to Michigan run deep; he’s from Grosse Pointe and went to the University of Michigan. Playing for the Red Wings with Larkin could be a full-circle moment and would address a major need in Detroit, but that possibility seems remote.The Red Wings have their franchise defenseman in Moritz Seider, whose all-around game put him right in the thick of the Norris conversation with Werenski. But another dynamic threat on the back end could be an absolute game-changer for a team that has ranked in the bottom half of the league in five-on-five scoring chance generation over the last couple of seasons.Detroit likely has pieces to interest Columbus, such as Emmitt Finnie, Nate Danielson, Marco Kasper and Axel Sandin-Pellikka, among others. The Red Wings also have a deep pipeline to pull from and cap space to absorb (and extend) Werenski. But without Larkin, this team’s timeline likely gets pushed back. And that’s two strikes against Werenski’s chances of waiving his no-movement clause to end up in Detroit.