One of the most shocking of these is Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski, who told GM Don Waddell he wants out just weeks after locking up the Norris Trophy as the top blueliner in the NHL.In fact, it was such a surprise that even his head coach was blindsided by the request.Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Rick Bowness revealed that he was shocked that star defenseman Zach Werenski had requested a trade.(Katherine Gawlik/Icon Sportswire)"I’m as shocked as anyone that these came up," Bowness said, per The Athletic.
"I mean, at the end of the year meetings, we looked each other in the eye and had great meetings and gave each other a hug leaving, and all that."So everything was good.So when all of this broke, I was shocked and caught off-guard like everyone else."Werenski — whose current deal runs through 2027-28 — wasn't the only player who wanted out.
Forward Kirill Marchenko also told the team he wants a change of scenery.Still, it was a major surprise.Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski requested a trade just weeks after winning the Norris Trophy has the NHL's top defenseman.(Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)Sure, the end of the Blue Jackets' season was an unmitigated disaster, and that final stretch of the season is why they whiffed on the postseason.
It happens, and they owned it.ZERO BS.JUST DAKICH.
TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD.DOWNLOAD NOW!But the rest of the season looked pretty promising, and the fiery post-regular-season message from Bowness probably should've had players fired up.Maybe not, for at least two of them.CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APPAnd, while it's never a good look to have a player wanting out like this, especially after they win a Norris Trophy, at least that accolade increases Werenski's trade value.If the Jackets can strike a deal, they should be getting a pretty hefty haul in return, because a D-man of Werenski's caliber is not always easy to come by.Matthew Reigle is a writer for OutKick.Get all ...