It’s never too early for teams to start planning to bring in additional pieces to their lineup. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period believes another name has entered the trade market, saying that Columbus Blue Jackets’ captain Boone Jenner would be an ideal fit for most contending teams.
Still, it’s unlikely that any trade chatter regarding Jenner is coming from the Blue Jackets. Pagnotta is correct that Columbus is near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, but it’s important to add context. They technically have a winning record (8-7-1) and are only two points removed from the last wild-card spot.
Given that Columbus is one good week away from being included in the contention conversation, they likely haven’t had substantive internal discussions about moving anyone this season. Regardless, there’s no questioning that Jenner would provide a handsome return if they made him available.
For starters, there are virtually no hurdles to clear in a potential Jenner trade. He’s making an affordable $3.75MM salary this season before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer, and only has an eight-team no-trade clause as far as protection goes. Even if Jenner somehow has eight contending teams on his no-trade clause, the Blue Jackets would realistically have another eight to 10 teams to choose from.
Although he might not be the top-six forward that Columbus has often utilized him as, Jenner would be a well-above-average third-line forward for most competitive teams. He can play all three forward positions, though his 54.1% career success rate in the faceoff dot over 8,000+ career draws suggests he’s best at center.
Additionally, Jenner underrated physical presence on the ice, often registering more than 100 hits a year, and over 200 hits on four different occasions. He’s defensively sound as well, averaging a 90.5% on-ice save percentage at even strength throughout his career.
This leaves his offensive game as the main point of contention, and why he’s likely better used as a third-line pivot rather than a top-six piece. It’s challenging to gauge exactly where Jenner’s offensive game stands now, considering the injury history he’s faced over the last several years. Still, he’s tallied 32 goals and 64 points in his previous 100 games, which is a 52-point 82-game average.
That offensive production may appear like a capable top-six forward on most teams. Unfortunately, the Blue Jackets have faced difficulty in keeping Jenner in that role, given that he hasn’t played in 70 or more games since the 2019-20 season. Regardless, given his other attributes, Jenner would be a valuable piece for any postseason team.