Evening Notes: Woodcroft, Lee, Jenner
The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to interview Jay Woodcroft for their head coaching position, reported by Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. He added that Woodcroft spoke with the Kings last week as well, and based on such interest, the 49-year-old looks well on track to be back in charge of an NHL bench in 2026-27.
Depending on how things go with the Leafs or Kings from here, it’s thought that Woodcroft is among the top candidates for the club in Toronto’s search. A native of the city, he started as a video coach with the prime 2000s Red Wings, winning a Stanley Cup in that role before moving on to San Jose as an assistant on Todd McLellan’s staff, also following him along to Edmonton afterward. Six years later he found himself leading the Oilers. Let go after a rough start to the 2023-24 campaign, Woodcroft served as an assistant with Anaheim this season, a part of their resurrection.
A modern mind with keen emphasis on analytics in a fast-paced offensive attack, Woodcroft has a career record of 79-41-13, all with Edmonton. He’s exactly .500 across 28 playoff games.
Elsewhere across the league:
- New York Islanders captain Anders Lee wants to add to his 14 seasons with the franchise as he approaches free agency. Still, general manager Mathieu Darche is motivated to open up cap space to more comfortably fit the contract in, as written by Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News. It’s not difficult to single out trade candidates, as Anthony Duclair was shopped around during trade deadline season with clearing his $3.5MM cap hit a priority. The winger who has struggled in New York has a full no-trade clause, making the situation more difficult to navigate. Pierre Engvall is next in line, his $3MM AAV running through 2029-30, but already having cleared waivers in the past, it’s obvious Darche would have to add enhancements to shed salary. The 29-year-old carries a high cost to be effectively a fourth liner at this point. Back to Lee, the veteran who turns 36 in July is no longer a top scorer, but he’s tremendously durable, missing just one regular season game in the past four years. As long as that pace continues through next year, he’ll reach the 1,000 game mark. AFP Analytics projects that Lee is due for a three year extension worth $6.60MM per season, not far from his current $7 million annual salary.
- Previously reported as possibly being squeezed out, Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner’s future remains up in the air at this point, as outlined by Pierre Lebrun of The Athletic. The Columbus captain, whose 808 regular season appearances mark the longest tenured player on the team, was far apart on term in the first round of discussions as he seeks stability at age 32. Teammate Charlie Coyle, 34 no less, was given six years on his contract extension, so it’s curious to know what general manager Don Waddell has in mind with Jenner. Lebrun referenced his tendency to sometimes let negotiations run to the finish line, and with more than a month away from the open market, there’s plenty of time to work something out.
Free Agency Notes: Jenner, Laughton, Chrona
The Columbus Blue Jackets may need a new captain for next season, as Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reported yesterday that Boone Jenner may be getting “squeezed out of the mix in Columbus” in advance of the expiry of his contract on July 1. Jenner, who was reported to have recently swapped longtime agent Joe Resnick for Pat Morris of Newport Sports Management, has only played for the Blue Jackets in his 808-game NHL career. He’s the franchise’s all-time games played leader. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said on today’s 32 Thoughts podcast that Columbus is hoping to find a way to keep Jenner, but Jenner “feels whatever he’s being offered is not anything he’s willing to accept.”
It’s not immediately clear what the Blue Jackets’ offer to Jenner might look like. Head coach Rick Bowness spent much of his time in Columbus utilizing Jenner in the bottom-six. He averaged 16:04 time on ice per game this season, down from 18:00 per game last year. Jenner also lost his grip on a spot on the Columbus power play, after averaging 1:48 time on ice per game there last season. Another factor that could contribute to Jenner’s exit from Columbus is his health. He’s missed significant time due to injuries over the past three years and despite solid production (13 goals, 38 points) in 2025-26, Columbus simply may not be able to offer Jenner the kind of contract he’s looking for given his availability and the amount of money they just committed to another veteran pivot, Charlie Coyle.
Other notes about pending free agents:
- The Los Angeles Kings are holding talks this week with pending UFA center Scott Laughton on a potential contract extension, reports Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period. Laughton, who is also repped by Morris, will see the five-year, $3MM AAV contract he signed in 2021 expire on July 1. The 31-year-old was acquired by the Kings as a deadline deal that returned a third-round pick to his former team, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Just one year before that, Laughton’s league-wide stock was high enough for him to return a first-round pick and prospect Nikita Grebenkin on the trade market. Bernstein noted that Laughton was “solid in [head coach] D.J. Smith’s system” after arriving in Los Angeles, so the decision on who the Kings might hire as their permanent bench boss could impact how far the team is willing to go to extend the center. Laughton scored eight points in 21 games with the Kings but has a career-high of 18 goals and 43 points from 2022-23. AFP Analytics projects him to receive a three-year, $4.1MM AAV deal on the open market.
- The SHL’s Brynäs IF have officially announced the signing of goaltender Magnus Chrona to a two-year contract. We first covered reports indicating Chrona would be headed overseas for 2026-27 in January, and today’s announcement has made it official. Chrona, 25, has been a member of the Nashville Predators organization for the last two seasons, originally arriving to the team as part of the Yaroslav Askarov trade in August 2024. In each of his two seasons with the Predators, Chrona served as the No. 2 goalie for the team’s AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals. He posted a .903 save percentage in 2024-25, his debut campaign in Wisconsin, and had an .894 save percentage in 25 games this past year. Although this deal will allow Chrona to return to his home country of Sweden, he has not played there since 2018-19, during his junior hockey days. Chrona backstopped the Denver Pioneers to an NCAA National Championship before beginning his pro career with the San Jose Sharks.
Evening Notes: Smith, Blue Jackets, Protas
Already having sent out Michael McCarron, another pending free agent Predator could be on the move soon. Forward Cole Smith took just a three second shift in tonight’s game against Columbus, at one point leaving for the locker room, but eventually returning to the bench, still not playing. Insider Frank Seravalli reported that Tampa Bay is showing interest.
The undrafted 30-year-old has become a mainstay on Nashville’s fourth line over the past four seasons, where he’s played a total 230 games with 62 points. At 6’3”, he is a relentless penalty killing winger likely to bring back later-round draft capital.
A high character player, the Minnesota native would be missed by Nashville, but cashing in on their depth pieces while keeping the bigger stars still gives them a shot in the playoffs, although they’ll have to overhaul their shorthanded unit.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Along with their opponents making news today, the Blue Jackets are missing two key pieces tonight as captain Boone Jenner and star Zach Werenski were inactive, as noted by Jeff Svoboda, official team reporter. Such news can raise eyebrows in early March, but it’s absolutely not for any suspicious reasons. Werenski is thought to be ill, while Jenner is day-to-day for maintenance, as confirmed by the team. Both could return as soon as Thursday, their Jackets set to host Florida as they continue their push toward the postseason. Until then, Kent Johnson, a scratch in recent days, re-enters the lineup.
- As another headline which could be misinterpreted, Capitals star Aliaksei Protas is absent tonight, but it’s due to personal reasons, as reported by Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. The 25-year-old has missed three games this year, otherwise posting 42 points in 59 games, and reaching the 20 goal mark last week. His Capitals, just shy of Wild Card range, are back in action Saturday in Boston, likely to welcome Protas back then.
Blue Jackets Looking To Extend Pending UFAs
On New Year’s Day, the Blue Jackets were in last place in the Eastern Conference and had a three-point cushion in the basement. They were all but set to punt on the season, and their high-value pending UFAs, namely Charlie Coyle and Boone Jenner, had found themselves high up on trade bait lists.
Fueled in part by a surprise coaching change, Columbus has now won 11 of its last 12 and is fully back in playoff contention. They’ve gone from 16th place to ninth in the past six weeks and are four points back of the Bruins for the final playoff spot with a game in hand.
If getting rental returns for Coyle and Jenner was general manager Don Waddell‘s deadline plan a month ago, that streak has changed his mind. The organization told RG.org’s James Murphy yesterday that they’ve stopped soliciting offers for Coyle, Jenner, and fellow pending UFA forward Mason Marchment and will instead start extension negotiations with all three players before the Olympic break ends.
All three have been legitimate impact players for the Jackets this season, particularly Coyle and Marchment. Acquired from the Avalanche last summer in something of a cap dump, the veteran Coyle has technically served as Columbus’ third-line center for virtually the entire campaign but is averaging north of 17 minutes of ice time per game thanks to extensive special-teams deployment. Coming off one of the more offensively underwhelming campaigns of his career for Boston and Colorado in 2024-25, he’s tossed up 15 goals and 42 points in 56 games to rank third on the Jackets in scoring.
There will be obvious trepidation over offering anything more than a one or two-year extension to Coyle, who turns 34 next month. He’s finishing at a 15.8% clip, and his possession numbers lag behind the average on a Columbus squad that’s greatly improved its play under Bowness. But for a Jackets squad teeming with cap space over the next couple of seasons, the risk of decline isn’t as pressing as it would be for a cap-strapped contender.
Marchment was a surprising in-season pickup from the Kraken in December, but he’s been the complete package in the nearly two months since his arrival. He’s clicked at nearly a point per game with nine goals and four assists in 14 games since the trade and leads Columbus forwards with a 53.1 CF% at even strength, although he’s helped out by playing a higher percentage of his games under Bowness. He’s still been a natural-looking fit on their top line alongside youngsters Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko.
Jenner may be the afterthought of the three in terms of on-ice performance this season, but he’s the captain and a career-long Blue Jacket. His production has taken something of a hit after missing most of last year with shoulder surgery, but he’s still produced eight goals and 27 points in 42 games, above his career-average pace. His 9.0% shooting rate is a bit below his career average and should come up down the stretch, too.
His 52.0 CF% signals his two-way game is still in a good spot, and he’s third on the team with 92 hits despite missing 14 games with an upper-body issue earlier in the year. Any concern about a long-term extension for the 32-year-old revolves around his extensive recent injury history. He’s missed double-digit games in every season since 2019-20 and has dealt with back problems for the vast majority of his career. The risk of aggressive age-related decline is palpable as a result.
Expecting Columbus to be able to swing extensions for all three is unrealistic – and considering all three are on the wrong side of 30, there’s a debate to be had over whether it’s a wise choice. Still, the question then shifts to whether the Jackets will still look to flip one of them and gain assets in return if it’s clear they’re too far off on an extension.
At least right now, the answer is no. “Regardless of whether they’re signed to extensions before the Olympic break ends, they’re off the trade market heading into the trade deadline,” a league source told Murphy.
“I’ve told everybody we will touch base over the break and see where they’re at and see where we’re at,” Waddell said. “And I said it last year, if players want to be here and we want ’em here, we’ll find a way to get it done. We did it last year, and we’ll do it again this year.”
Blue Jackets Activate Boone Jenner, Reassign Luca Del Bel Belluz
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
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
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
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
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
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.