Columbus Blue Jackets' Boone Jenner heading to Washington Capitals

Brian Hedger, Columbus DispatchWed, Jul 1, 2026·2 min read

It's tough to believe and might be tough for some in Columbus to stomach, but Boone Jenner is leaving the Blue Jackets for the Washington Capitals, a Metropolitan Division rival.

More: 5 Columbus Blue Jackets questions before NHL free agency

AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement

After spending the first 13 years of his NHL career with the Blue Jackets, including the past five wearing the captain's 'C' on his sweater, Jenner is bound for the Capitals on a four-year contract worth $5.75 million per season.

Jenner, 33, has battled significant injuries the past five years that included a back injury, fractured thumb, fractured jaw and torn shoulder labrum that combined to sideline him for extended periods in each of the past five years. His injury history, combined with increasing age, made the Jackets hesitant to offer a contract extension long enough to gain Jenner's approval.

He initially wanted a five-year deal and got four out of Washington. That's why he's leaving.

Jenner also leaves behind quite a legacy. He's departing the Blue Jackets as their all-time leader in games played (808) and seasons (13), while ranking third in goals (212), assists (209), points (421), multi-point games (88), multi-goal games (19) and game-winning goals (31). Jenner ranks second all-time in power-play goals (44) and shots on goal (1,992).

The Blue Jackets struck gold when selecting Jenner in the second round (37th overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft.

AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement

Two years later, on Oct. 4, 2013, at Nationwide Arena, he made his NHL debut for the Jackets in a 4-3 loss to the Calgary Flames to open the season. Jenner scored the first two goals of his career four games later and quickly became a lineup regular using a relentless work ethic.

Throughout his career, Jenner's versatility made him a key part of the Blue Jackets' lineup for six different coaches. He can play all three forward positions, wins draws at a 54% clip, plays around the net and has succeeded playing in front of the cage on power plays.

Defensively, Jenner is an astute penalty-killing forward with fantastic anticipation skills that often put the puck on his stick for shorthanded breakaways or rushes with teammates.

The drawback was a consistent inability to finish those chances to score key goals, but that's a tradeoff that nearly every coach in the league would make to add a player like Jenner to their lineup.

AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement

That's a lot for the Blue Jackets to lose by not re-signing him, not to mention Jenner's understated leadership ability after succeeding Nick Foligno as captain prior to the 2021-22 season. His departure leaves behind a significant gap the Jackets must now fill from either a trade, free-agent addition or promotion from within their organizational depth.

Dispatch Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets' Boone Jenner heading to Washington Capitals

Story byThe Columbus Dispatch