You're not wrong (about Jones) but that still doesn't mean we should trade Werenski. I know what type of forward people are wanting for him, and that's one near Panarin level or the potential to get there. The bottom line is, those players don't get moved, and neither do players like Werenski. Jones-Johansen deal was a complete anomaly. How many times has this happened since then of this magnitude? Sure, we've seen players dealing players from a position of strength in order to get better at a position of weakness, but nothing of that order.
Dean Kukan is a fine player. But I am getting the sense he is starting to get pretty overrated here, especially offensively. He's a fine player for his current role, a third pairing guy who can fill in around the lineup. Dean Kukan's offensive upside doesn't even scratch Werenski's floor. Very few defenseman around the league compare as well to Werenski offensively, and those that do are the very best in the NHL, including his partner Jones. Having two top blue liners is great.
Nashville had tons of defensemen, and you never saw them consider trading Weber (in his prime), Suter, or Josi even though they had an extreme need for scoring. They filled that need in over time.
We're not one piece away from contending. We're multiple (at least two?) high end offensive pieces away. We can get one with a top draft pick, and the other we can hope to come from within with either Texier, Bemstrom, Bjorkstrand, or at the very worst case scenario, another draft pick.
I don't want to say Z is untouchable, but unless we are getting some young super stud like Elias Petterssen it isn't something we should even think about IMO.
