After failing to land Vancouver's Quinn Hughes, the Red Wings could turn their sights to Columbus and target an upset Zach Werenski.
The Detroit Red Wings were reportedly involved in the trade talks to acquired Norris trophy winning defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks before he was traded to the Minnesota Wild.
Some insiders noted that there was simply one piece of the proposed trade package that the Red Wings weren't willing to part with as Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman speculated that it may have been defenseman Simon Edvinsson.
Detroit ultimately lost out on Hughes but there just so happens to be another disgruntled defenseman in his current situation that has ties to Michigan and could see his way out if the Red Wings were to pursue a trade.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have seemingly fallen back into their losing ways this season as they've dropped ten of their last 13 games with star defenseman Zach Werenski speaking out about his frustration with the team.
According to Blue Jackets team reporter Jeff Svoboda, Werenski said after the team's loss to the Minnesota Wild this past Thursday that he was getting frustrated with the team continuing to lose and that "It's unacceptable, and I get the whole thing where you have to stay positive and move forward, but at the end of the day this is getting outrageous."
This sounded to many Red Wings fans like a defenseman that is growing tired of his situation and could look to join a team with better chances of winning like the top seed in the Atlantic division.
A potential deal for Werenski would make sense considering Detroit GM Steve Yzerman and company just finished drawing up a deal they believed was good enough to add a player of Hughes' caliber with Werenski not far off. The first proposed deal that the team had made for Hughes may even be enough to get something done for Werenski and bring home the former Michigan Wolverine.
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The Grosse Point, Michigan native grew up likely watching the Red Wings and could finally return home and live close to his family. Plus, he would also get the chance to join a Detroit team that has seen it's highs and lows this season with the common thread through the hard parts being a lack of consistent defense.
With a player of Werenski's caliber, they would be adding another Seider-sized anchor to their blueline. The deal would be costly but could work as a great second chance to get a slightly older but still lethal defenseman for their defense corps.
Werenski does have a full no-move clause on his current deal, however there's more than likely a chance that based on his previous quotes that he wouldn't mind a fresh start and could do so in a very familiar place for him that could use him as a cornerstone piece towards competing for a Stanley Cup.
The 28-year-old is coming off a career-best season, recording 23 goals and 59 assists for 82 points while logging massive ice time at nearly 27 minutes per game. He also scored five game-winning goals and would provide valuable secondary scoring for a Red Wings team that has at times struggled with offensive depth.
Werenski spent two seasons at the University of Michigan from 2014 to 2016, recording 61 points in 71 games. During his time with the Wolverines, he developed strong chemistry with several teammates who are now members of the Red Wings, including Dylan Larkin, Andrew Copp, and J.T. Compher.
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