The Capitals made two big splashes up front last month with the additions of Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch. They’ve now added another impact forward as the team announced that they’ve signed forward Boone Jenner to a four-year, $23MM contract.
The 33-year-old had been a mainstay in Columbus before today. The Blue Jackets drafted Jenner in the second round all the way back in 2011 and he had been with them ever since. He spent 13 seasons with them, captaining the squad since the 2021-22 campaign.
Jenner is coming off a year that saw him miss considerable time due to injury, something that he’s all too familiar with. He hasn’t played a full 82-game season since 2016-17 and hasn’t made it to 70 appearances in six straight seasons. That certainly would have played a role in talks to possibly return to Columbus amid the culture shakeup that they’re trying to embark upon under new head coach Rick Bowness. It also likely kept the price tag a little lower than some of the pricer contracts handed out elsewhere today.
But while he isn’t always available, Jenner is consistently a factor when he is in the lineup. In 67 games last season, he had 13 goals and 25 assists while chipping in with 147 hits in 16:05 per night of playing time. That’s actually his lowest ATOI since the aforementioned 2016-17 campaign. Jenner spent a lot of time on the wing but was still consistently utilized at the faceoff dot, winning more than half of his draws for the 11th consecutive season.
The role that Jenner had last season is likely the one he’ll have with the Capitals. Regardless of what may or may not happen with Alex Ovechkin if he decides to return, Jenner seems likely to fit in somewhere in Washington’s middle six, likely the wing while his faceoff prowess will have him taking plenty of draws once more. With him playing a lesser role than he did in his prime years with the Blue Jackets, the Capitals will likely be hoping that he’ll have a better shot at staying healthier and if that happens, he could become an impactful addition at a somewhat reasonable cost.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report the deal.