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Boone Jenner will start on the left wing as Training Camp begins. (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Questions Regarding Blue Jackets’ Captain Jenner Will Be Answered in 2025-26

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Nicholas Arnold | Last updated Sep 6, 2025 8:35 AM ET

It’s hard to imagine the Columbus Blue Jackets without Boone Jenner. He’s been with the organization since 2011, four years longer than the second-most tenured Blue Jacket, Zach Werenski. Jenner is the all-time leader in games played for the team (by a lot) and has become their heart-and-soul captain. However, the question is: Will he be available this season?

At 32 years old and with a significant injury history – a byproduct of his physical game – it’s impossible to predict how many games he will play this season. He’s also entering the final year of his contract and could be a heck of a trade chip heading into the deadline.

Will Jenner Stay Healthy in 2025-26?

Jenner’s extensive list of injuries that have sidelined him over the past several seasons has added up. Since being named captain in 2021, he has missed 117 of 328 possible games. That’s a dismal 64.3% availability rate over the last four seasons.

Don’t get me wrong. When Jenner is in the lineup, he’s a difference-maker. He’s consistently a 20-30 goal scorer, is always digging in the corners, and is one of the better faceoff takers in the league. Over his career, he’s averaged 54% on draws, which is a really important skill to have when most of the other Jackets centers are younger and still learning how to outsmart the best in the world. With his team on the upswing, they’re going to need him on the ice more often than not to push for a playoff spot, and his style of play lends itself most to postseason play. They could use him, and they need him to be healthy.

How Will Jenner Handle His Expiring Contract?

It seems like yesterday that Jenner signed his four-year contract extension to stay in Columbus. Another four-year contract would expire when he’s 37 years old. But his injury history makes it seem unlikely his career will last that long. So, both sides will have a decision to make.

Jenner has been a loyal foot soldier through the tough times, and he has consistently put his body on the line for the team. However, if he’s looking for term and money on what will likely be his last chance to cash in on his career, he might have to do it elsewhere. More so, if he’s chasing a Stanley Cup, which he’s only once had a small taste of, he will also have to look elsewhere. The Blue Jackets’ window of contention with this core group is a couple of seasons from opening.

He’s been eligible for a contract extension since July 1, and I would expect that the two sides have been in contact to get an idea of what each side is looking for. In an exclusive conversation with The Hockey Writers‘ Mark Scheig earlier this summer, Jenner said:

“I’ve been a Blue Jacket my whole career. It means so much to me. I love being a Blue Jacket. I love playing in front of our fans and being a part of what we’re building here. (I’ve thought) a lot to stay here and be here my whole career. I’ve been fortunate thus far. (I) want to keep building. At the end of the day, I want to win here.”
Blue Jackets’ captain Boone Jenner on his future in an interview with Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers.

General manager Don Waddell will have to weigh his options because Jenner’s value at the trade deadline is likely to be very high. However, he already has one of the most tenured Blue Jackets in franchise history, who has reaffirmed his desire to stay in Ohio. These questions will need to be answered heading into 2025-26.