In a late Tuesday night bombshell, Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Dallas Stars and Columbus Blue Jackets had reached a verbal agreement on a Zach Werenski trade set to be completed Wednesday morning, only for the recent Norris Trophy winner to exercise his no-move clause and kill the deal before it ever became official.

According to Friedman, the two sides had come to terms as early as Monday, with Stars defenceman Thomas Harley headlining the package heading back to Columbus, along with other assets potentially involved. The agreement collapsed Tuesday night when Werenski pulled the plug, sending both organizations back to the drawing board on the eve of free agency.

Friedman reported that Werenski's preference is to be dealt to an Eastern Conference team, likely wanting to stay close to home as a Michigan native. Regardless, it appears his time in Columbus is winding down as Friedman noted that Werenski's relationship with the Blue Jackets organization has soured in the last few days.

If Werenski wants to play in the East and prefers to stay close to home, while also join a team that could be on the rise, the answer would be his homestate Detroit Red Wings.

Detroit has spent years assembling the prospect pool and draft capital needed to make a splash, and general manager Steve Yzerman has been deliberate in his approach to building back toward contention.

The Red Wings are at a decade without playoff hockey in the Motor City, and ownership and fanbase alike are ready for that drought to end. Landing the reigning Norris Trophy winner would be the kind of home run swing that could immediately change the trajectory of the franchise.

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Werenski grew up in Michigan, and a trade to Detroit would keep him home in every meaningful sense of the word. He would be playing in front of family and friends in a state he has called home his entire life. He would also be joining a team that already features his Team USA teammate and fellow Michigan native Dylan Larkin, a known friend whose presence in Detroit could be a significant pull. 

Perhaps just as importantly, keeping Larkin happy matters enormously to the Red Wings, and adding a close friend and elite defenceman to the roster is exactly the kind of move that could factor into Larkin's own long-term future with the club.

The financial picture works too as Detroit carries significant cap space and would have the ability to absorb Werenski's current contract and then re-sign him when it expires in two seasons at whatever market value his Norris Trophy pedigree commands. That kind of long-term commitment and stability is something the Red Wings can offer in a way few other teams can.

Werenski is a 29-year-old blueliner coming off a 22-goal, 81-point season in 75 games, the best campaign of his career and one that earned him the Norris. Columbus will not move him cheaply, and Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell will expect a return that reflects the franchise defenceman he is giving up. However, Detroit has the blue-chip prospects and the draft capital to get a deal done if Yzerman decides this is the moment to go all in.

For a franchise that has been building patiently for years, the Werenski situation presents a rare and timely opportunity. The player wants the East and close to home. He knows and likes Dylan Larkin and Detroit has the assets, the cap room and the setting to make it work. Whether Yzerman is willing to make the call and take the swing is now the only question that remains.

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