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Boone Jenner

Blue Jackets Activate Boone Jenner, Reassign Luca Del Bel Belluz

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The Blue Jackets announced they’ve activated captain Boone Jenner from injured reserve, paving the way for him to return to the lineup tonight against the Senators as expected. Center Luca Del Bel Belluz was returned to AHL Cleveland in the corresponding move.

Jenner, 32, hasn’t played in exactly a month. He’s missed 14 games with an upper-body injury he sustained Nov. 11 against the Kraken. That news was initially of particular concern after Jenner missed the first several months of last season following shoulder surgery, but this injury ended up being unrelated.

Without their captain, the Jackets have treaded water with a 5-4-5 record. Even with collecting so many overtime/shootout losses, that hasn’t been enough to help them keep pace in the Eastern Conference playoff race. With sluggish contenders like the Panthers and Maple Leafs turning around their poor starts, Columbus’ 13-11-6 record has them third-last in the conference – although still well within reach of a playoff spot. While they have several teams to leapfrog, they’re only three points back of the Flyers for a wild-card spot and still have a respectable 20.9% chance of returning to the dance for the first time since 2020, per MoneyPuck.

Jenner will need to be a big part of that the rest of the way. The lifelong Jacket has been in something of a shooting slump since returning from his shoulder injury last year, finishing at a 9.8% clip. With 29 points in 42 games since then, though, his overall point production has remained a good bit above his career average. He’s got a 3-7–10 scoring line in 16 games this season, placing him sixth on the team at 0.63 points per game.

A natural center, Columbus has shifted Jenner to the wing as multiple young pivots come down the pike. He’s spent most of his time in the lineup flanking Adam Fantilli, usually with Kent Johnson on the opposite flank. They didn’t have great chemistry. Their 42.1% share of expected goals and 2.58 xGF/60 are the lowest among the Jackets’ five forward lines with at least 50 minutes together. Nonetheless, that trio is staying together in his return to the lineup, per Jeff Svoboda of NHL.com.

Del Bel Belluz’s second recall of the season draws to an end after nine days. He was summoned from Cleveland on an emergency basis on Dec. 2 after Mathieu Olivier landed on IR. With his presence on the roster no longer required to give Columbus 12 healthy forwards, they either had to return him to the AHL or shift his recall into a standard one.

In the last four games, the 22-year-old was a virtual non-factor. He had no points and an even rating while averaging 8:10 of ice time per game, going 8-for-19 on draws (42.1%) with five blocks. Limited ice time isn’t the best use of the 2022 second-round pick’s development. He’s done well when placed higher up in Columbus’ lineup before, posting eight points in 15 games last season when elevated into top-nine duties, but with his all-around ceiling not yet realized, it’s best to keep him in the minors until he’s fully ready to step into major minutes for the Jackets.

He’s likely not too far off from doing so. He’s operating at a point-per-game pace through 11 AHL contests after leading Cleveland with 27 goals in 61 games last year. They’ll continue to give him periodic check-ins at the NHL level to evaluate his game before he seriously competes for an opening-night job next fall.

East Injury Notes: Jenner, Drouin, Maple Leafs

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Columbus Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner will return to the ice tonight against the Ottawa Senators after an injury cost him a month of hockey. Team reporter Jeff Svoboda relayed word from Columbus Head Coach Dean Evason, who confirmed to the media today that Jenner would be returning. Jenner hasn’t played since Nov. 11 due to an upper-body injury.

Jenner’s return to the Blue Jackets’ lineup comes at an important time. Columbus has lost three straight games and needs to get back into the win column quickly if they’re going to keep pace in the Eastern Conference’s tight playoff race. Getting Jenner back while the team is set to play a key Eastern Conference opponent, who they could feasibly be in the running against for a Wild Card spot later in the season, makes today’s news all the more positive for the Blue Jackets. Jenner scored 10 points in 16 games before his injury and was averaging 16:06 time on ice per game, including usage on both sides of special teams.

Other injury notes from the Eastern Conference:

  • The Hockey News’ Stefen Rosner reported today that New York Islanders forward Jonathan Drouin was on the ice for the team’s morning skate. Per Rosner, this is Drouin’s first time skating back with the team since he took warmups before the team’s game against the Colorado Avalanche on Dec. 4. Drouin has been out with a back injury since that point, and has so far missed four games. The veteran forward has three goals and 15 points in 26 games so far this season and is playing out the first year of the two-year, $4MM AAV free agent pact that brought him to Long Island.
  • Two notable injury updates emerged from Toronto Maple Leafs morning skate today. First, TSN and The Athletic’s Chris Johnston reported that Joseph Woll hit the ice today for the first time since his injury last week. While it’s unclear how close he is to a return to the lineup, today’s news represents a positive development in his recovery from the lower-body injury that landed him on IR. In addition to Woll, defenseman Morgan Rielly was spotted at morning skate, per The Hockey News’ David Alter. Rielly missed Toronto’s last practice with an illness, but appears to be back to game readiness. Rielly is Toronto’s No. 1 defenseman, averaging 22 minutes per night with 22 points in 28 games this season.

Injury Notes: Pesce, Jenner, Cooley

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Last night, Ryan Novozinsky of njdotcom asked Devils Head Coach Sheldon Keefe for an update on defenseman Brett Pesce. As shared by Novozinsky, while the key defenseman is progressing, he is still not close to a return, and remains considered week-to-week. 

The blueliner has now been absent for over a month after blocking a shot against the Avalanche and leaving mid-game. The initial thought was at least one month, so the update is not great, but it appears the veteran is on the right track for a return by January. While Pesce never jumps out on the stat sheet, anyone remotely familiar with his game knows his importance as a top shutdown defender. Prior to going down, he and Luke Hughes were a formidable pair, complementing each other’s games perfectly.

Impressively, New Jersey has battled through the adversity of losing Pesce, along with Jack Hughes and others, remaining atop the Metropolitan, especially thanks to a 9-1-1 home record. 21-year-old Simon Nemec has stepped up of late, being trusted with high minutes from Keefe, and starting to break through from his second-overall selection billing. However, Pesce’s absence is a major hole, and if the Devils are to hold off the Hurricanes along with the many other formidable teams in the division, they will need their steady leader back, placing their elite young defenders Hughes and Nemec back into more favorable roles. 

Elsewhere across the league:

  • Blue Jackets Head Coach Dean Evason told Jeff Svoboda, Columbus’ team reporter, that Boone Jenner is “close” to returning, but likely not tomorrow against the Devils. The captain practiced today but is being phased back gradually. Jenner landed on IR two weeks ago with an upper-body-injury, and it was thought to be longer term, so a return by early December is favorable. The 32-year-old career long Jacket has 10 points in 16 games, and while a Monday return seems out of the cards, Jenner could return on Thursday as Columbus hosts Detroit. 
  • Insider Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff confirmed that Utah forward Logan Cooley appears to have “dodged a bullet”, with an initial finding of a quad contusion. Although further testing will be done, it seems to confirm last night’s sentiment that a serious injury was avoided. Cooley’s knee-on-knee collision with Alexei Toropchenko immediately caught the concern of the league, as he had to be helped off the ice, earning Toropchenko a match penalty. In an update from Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Toropchenko will not face supplemental discipline for the hit. Thankfully it appears the dynamic young star Cooley, with 23 points in 26 games, will not be sidelined for long. 

Blue Jackets Place Boone Jenner On Injured Reserve

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For the second time in as many seasons, the Columbus Blue Jackets will be without their captain for some time. The Blue Jackets announced that Boone Jenner has been placed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.

Jenner isn’t expected to have a short stay on the IR either. Head coach Dean Evason indicated that the injury wasn’t expected to be a short term one. It’s more of the same for Jenner, who hasn’t played in a full season since the 2016-17 campaign.

The injury stems from the Blue Jackets’ contest on Tuesday against the Seattle Kraken. Despite winning the game by one goal, Jenner left the contest after one shift in the second period.

It’s an unfortunate blow to Columbus and Jenner. He had gotten off to a solid start to the 2025-26 season, scoring three goals and 10 points through his first 16 games. After returning from an extended injury last season, Jenner had scored 10 goals and 29 points in his last 42 games.

That kind of production over the last little while, as well as his career performances, has made Jenner a speculative trade candidate of late. Unfortunately, if the Blue Jackets had any idea of trading Jenner in his contract year, the new injury concern has a chance of impacting their potential return.

Blue Jackets’ Boone Jenner Generating Trade Interest

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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.

Blue Jackets Activate Boone Jenner, Kirill Marchenko Off IR

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The Blue Jackets lineup will get a considerable boost from the 4 Nations break. Captain Boone Jenner and team goals leader Kirill Marchenko have been activated off injured reserve and will play against the Blackhawks tomorrow, the team announced. In a corresponding transaction, depth winger Kevin Labanc is headed to IR after shoulder surgery on Tuesday and will miss the remainder of the season.

Jenner, 31, will be making his season debut. The 11-year veteran needed shoulder surgery after taking a nasty spill into the boards during a practice late in training camp, keeping him out of the lineup for over four and a half months. Coming off the heels of his first career All-Star Game appearance, the Jackets lifer has now averaged over 20 minutes per game for three consecutive seasons while scoring north of 20 goals each time.

Injuries have become standard for Jenner, who hasn’t touched the 70-game mark since before the pandemic. But he’s produced at a 31-goal, 55-point clip per 82 games since the 2021-22 campaign, providing strong possession metrics despite what his -51 rating over that time may indicate. While overtaxed in a first-line role, he’s a strong middle-six center with a well-rounded game. He’s served as Columbus’ captain since the 2021-22 season, succeeding Nick Foligno, and has worn a letter for them since 2015-16.

Outside of his off-ice impact, his return is a needle-mover for a Blue Jackets forward group that remains without top center Sean Monahan, who had 41 points in 41 games before a wrist sprain paused his season in early January. He’s not expected back until after the trade deadline. Columbus also has emerging winger Yegor Chinakhov on IR, who had 14 points through his first 21 games but hasn’t played since late November due to an upper-body injury and doesn’t have a timeline for a return.

Notably, Jenner may not be returning to his natural center position. PuckPedia projects him as the Jackets’ second-line left wing alongside youngsters Cole Sillinger and Kent Johnson, while sophomore Adam Fantilli continues in a first-line role in Monahan’s absence. Fantilli, the 2023 third-overall pick, has 6-7–13 in 15 games without Monahan.

He spent a few of those games without Marchenko, now a top-line fixture, on his wing. The 24-year-old winger took a puck to the jaw against the Stars on Feb. 2 and required surgery, keeping him out of the lineup for three games. He’ll undoubtedly be wearing a full shield upon his return, but his raucous 21 goals and 55 points in 53 games are a must-have as the Blue Jackets look to continue their improbable push up the standings and unseat the Red Wings for the second wild-card spot in the East. They’re one point back of Detroit but have played one more game than the Wings, making next weekend’s outdoor game at Ohio State between the two a must-watch.

Yet Columbus can’t have good news on the injury front this season without a small step back. Labanc’s role in the lineup leading into the break had been minimal, serving as a healthy scratch in nine of the Jackets’ last 10. However, undergoing surgery indicates he wasn’t fully healthy unless he sustained an off-ice injury over the break. While his deployment has been limited, he’s been an effective depth scorer when in the lineup. The ex-Sharks forward had 2-10–12 through 34 appearances, averaging 10:30 per game, and actually sported the third-best Corsi share among Columbus skaters at even strength at 52.6%. While not the fringe top-six piece he was years ago in San Jose, the 29-year-old had been playing solid hockey after signing a one-year, league-minimum deal in early October.

The Jackets have 12 forwards on the active roster following today’s moves, indicating Joseph Labate will make his Columbus debut this weekend after being recalled from AHL Cleveland yesterday. Luca Del Bel Belluz and Mikael Pyyhtia, who had played regularly for the Jackets leading into the break, remain on AHL assignments for now.

Blue Jackets Notes: Jenner, Mateychuk, Sillinger, Monahan

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Blue Jackets center Boone Jenner took to the ice today as he continues to work his way back from a shoulder injury sustained back in training camp, relays Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers (Twitter link).  It’s the first time the captain has skated with the team since suffering the injury.  Jenner has been a key middleman for Columbus for more than a decade when healthy although he has missed time with injuries for five straight years now.  Considering he’s just starting to skate with the team now, it’s fair to suggest Jenner is still several weeks away from returning but with the Blue Jackets hanging around the playoff battle in the East, it’s possible that their big trade deadline addition to boost their roster could simply be getting him back in their lineup.

More from Columbus:

  • The Blue Jackets will welcome defenseman Denton Mateychuk back to the lineup tonight against Los Angeles, notes Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 20-year-old had missed three straight games due to illness.  Mateychuk has played in 12 games since being recalled late last month and has held his own in his first taste of NHL action with three points along with 21 blocked shots while averaging a little over 18 minutes a night of playing time.  Mateychuk had gotten off to quite a strong start before that in the minors, collecting 25 points in 27 contests with Cleveland before being brought up.
  • While they’re getting Mateychuk back, the same can’t be said for center Cole Sillinger. Team reporter Jeff Svoboda mentions (Twitter link) that the 21-year-old didn’t take the morning skate and thus is expected to miss his third straight game with an upper-body injury.  Sillinger had a solid first half with 23 points in 45 games while seeing his playing time jump up to 17:40 per night.
  • Compounding Jenner’s absence is that Sean Monahan (wrist) has also been out of the lineup for the past three weeks, weakening their already relatively thin center depth. Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch mentions that while Jenner is hoping to be back after the 4 Nations Face-Off, Monahan is expected to be back before him so Columbus may not have to deal with being down their top two centers for too much longer.

Boone Jenner Undergoes Shoulder Surgery, May Not Return This Season

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Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell announced today that captain Boone Jenner is out indefinitely after undergoing shoulder surgery. “Our hope is he can return before the end of the season,” Waddell said, but there’s no guarantee he’ll suit up at all in 2024-25. Waddell later added Jenner would be out for at least five months, marking the beginning of March as his earliest opportunity to return, per Michael Russo of The Athletic.

Jenner sustained the injury in practice last week after losing an edge and crashing into the boards. After landing on IR before the season-opening rosters were due, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic indicated he could be out multiple months. Today’s news isn’t quite the worst-case scenario for Jenner, but it’s certainly not promising.

The shoulder surgery adds to a long list of injuries that’s prevented Jenner from playing more than 70 games in a season since the COVID-19 pandemic. While the 31-year-old has been an invaluable piece for Columbus, putting up the best offensive numbers of his career after assuming the captaincy in 2021, a broken jaw and recurring back problems have truncated his last three campaigns at 59, 68 and 58 games, respectively.

A Blue Jackets lifer, Jenner was a second-round pick of Columbus back in 2011. His career averages suggest the offensive output of a squarely middle-six center, posting 22 goals and 42 points per 82 games. But he’s averaged over 20 minutes per game in the last three years, and with increased usage has come increased production. The Ontario native has produced a 32-goal, 55-point clip per 82 games since the 2021-22 campaign. He’s done so on a bargain-bin four-year, $15MM extension he signed before his 2021 resurgence – some will remember his 30-goal, 49-point breakout campaign for the Jackets way back in 2015-16.

Jenner’s absence will deprive Columbus of their top forward for most of the season, diminishing the effectiveness of an already thin group. He was expected to shift to the wing from center this year, so Adam Fantilli and Sean Monahan won’t see much of an increase in responsibility from their already-anticipated top-six roles. But Jenner’s injury will lead to more ice time for late-summer UFA pickups Kevin Labanc and James van Riemsdyk, who now each project to play tonight’s season opener in second-line roles flanking Fantilli, per the team’s Jeff Svoboda.

In much more positive news, winger Dmitri Voronkov, who also started the season on IR, isn’t expected to miss nearly as much time as Jenner with his upper body injury, per Waddell. He doesn’t require surgery and could return by the end of next month, Svoboda relays.

Blue Jackets’ Boone Jenner Expected To Start Season On IR

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are expected to place team captain Boone Jenner on injured reserve to begin the year, shares Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. Jenner joins Dmtri Voronkov on the team’s season-opening IR. Portzline shares that both players are expected to miss extended time, with one source suggesting that they could miss months. The organization doesn’t plan to reveal either player’s timeline, though general manager Don Waddell did mention that Jenner is visiting specialists and will be out for, “a while”.

Jenner suffered the injury after losing an edge and careening into the wall in the team’s Friday practice. He’ll move forward with an official upper-body injury, entering yet another season with complications after missing at least 10 games in each of the last four years. He missed a month of action last season due to a fractured jaw, and had both his 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons ended early by back injuries. Jenner is productive when he does play, recording at least 20 goals in three straight seasons and totaling 141 points in 226 games since 2020. That’s good enough for second on the Blue Jackets in scoring in that timeframe, behind Jack Roslovic, who’s now signed with the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Blue Jackets are now missing two of their top three goal-scorers from the 2023-24 season with Jenner and Voronkov on IR, adding even more stress to what’s been an unfathomably difficult summer for Columbus. The vacant minutes are likely to be spread among the team’s many up-and-coming prospects, with James Malatesta and Yegor Chinakhov both still on the NHL roster. Columbus could also award recent signee Kevin Labanc with a hardy role after he scored a league-leading six goals in four preseason games.

Metropolitan Notes: York, Jenner, Carrier

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Flyers defenseman Cam York is entering the final year of his contract and is therefore eligible to sign a contract extension.  Speaking with reporters including Jackie Spiegel of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the blueliner indicated he wasn’t worried about getting a deal done at this point knowing that eventually something will work out.  The 23-year-old potted 10 goals along with 20 assists while playing all 82 games last season.  He also notably logged 22:37 per contest, second to only Travis Sanheim.  With that in mind, it might make sense for York to wait a little while yet before signing an extension as a repeat of last year’s performance will only bolster his value heading into next summer when he’ll be a restricted free agent with arbitration eligibility, owed a $1.6MM qualifying offer.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • While Boone Jenner has arguably been the Blue Jackets’ most reliable center in recent years, he won’t be lining up there to start the season. Instead, Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch relays that the captain will instead line up on the left wing on the top line.  Jenner has been a reliable faceoff specialist over the years but with Sean Monahan being added in free agency and Adam Fantilli now fully recovered from a calf laceration that caused him to miss the second half last season, new head coach Dean Evason wants to see how Jenner fares in Johnny Gaudreau’s old spot, hoping that his forechecking will lead to some additional opportunities.
  • Hurricanes winger William Carrier is only expected to miss a couple of days with the lower-body injury that held him out of practice yesterday, relays team reporter Walt Ruff (Twitter link). Head coach Rod Brind’Amour noted that they’re merely being extra cautious with the newcomer.  Carrier signed a six-year, $12MM contract with Carolina over the summer after spending the last seven years with Vegas where he averaged three hits per game while chipping in with 99 points in 372 appearances.

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