Trade Targets: Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski moves to No. 1

Quick hits as Day 2 of the NHL Draft rolls on in Buffalo:

• Zach Werenski has moved to No. 1 on the Trade Targets 🎯 board as the Blue Jackets have begun to engage with teams on offers for the reigning Norris Trophy winner. This is playing out exactly as we reported on Tuesday: Werenski has not requested a trade but he is noncommittal on an extension in Columbus and will be when his camp is asked about it next week by GM Don Waddell. Does Werenski have to be moved now? No, of course he will honor his contract in Columbus and play next season, but that won't prevent teams from trying to pry him lose with two years left on a bargain contract. Dallas, Philadelphia, Carolina and San Jose have already expressed real interest in Werenski. You can bet Toronto will be in the mix. One team that I expect to go the hardest on Werenski is the Tampa Bay Lightning.
• Similarly, forward Kirill Marchenko has also notified the Blue Jackets that he will not be extending in Columbus. While Marchenko could also play out next season, the final year of his deal before becoming a restricted free agent, it's possible to envision a world in which Columbus moves Marchenko before Werenski. As we reported this week, the Montréal Canadiens have been aggressive in their pursuit of Marchenko, but they won't be alone.
• To date, Darnell Nurse has not expanded his three-team list where he'd approve a trade: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Boston. The Oilers have not gotten traction on Nurse in part because all of those teams have other lines in the water, for instance as the Flyers are interested in Werenski, pending free agent John Carlson, and others. Boston also has their eye on at least one right-shooting free agent defenseman.
• What has become clear in Winnipeg, despite GM Kevin Cheveldayoff's best efforts, is that goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has indeed asked for a trade. We detailed Carolina's offer this week.
• The Rangers have been striking out on a deal to move center Vincent Trocheck. Will their ask soften? His no-trade list has not.
• Can the Stars really still re-sign Jason Robertson, even if that's his preference? Put it this way: the Stars have already agreed to trade Robertson, contingent on a contract extension to Seattle. We know that fell through. If he were to sign an extension now, he is ineligible for trade protection for one year, so they could trade him at a reduced number immediately. We know GM Jim Nill is the ultimate gentleman and his word is gold, but that's a tough spot to be in. Equally tough: How can Dallas recoup significant assets if they are going to move Robertson without it contingent on an extension? How many teams would go into that blind with the only guarantee of a one-year arbitration award? Declining $125 million over eight years ($15.625 million) has made this a tricky situation to navigate.
• Toronto's Matthew Knies slides way down the board with Round 1 complete, while Morgan Rielly remains very much in play as Toronto continues to reinvent its defense corps with a Brandon Carlo trade Saturday.
• Expecting the goalie trade market to heat up this week prior to July 1: Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill, Devon Levi, Sam Montembeault and Jacob Markstrom are just some of the names available.

Here's the latest Top 40 players in play, whose ranking always seeks to blend a player's prominence with his likelihood of a trade:

Trade Targets 🎯

 Traded this week: No. 2 Mason McTavish; No. 3 Jordan Kyrou; No. 7 Bowen Byram; No. 12 Sebastian Cossa; No. 14 Brandon Carlo; No. 19 Ross Colton; No. 28 Jack Drury; No. 33 Andre Burakovsky; No. 36 Jordan Greenway; No. 38 Hendrix Lapierre.