2023-24 Trade Bait: Boone Jenner
Columbus' highly coveted power forward
By all indications, only “a massive return” will convince the Blue Jackets to part with Boone Jenner at the trade deadline. Columbus’ captain is precisely the sort of no-frills leader you want mentoring young forwards like Adam Fantilli, Cole Sillinger, Kent Johnson, etc.
From a contender’s standpoint, however, he also brings the sandpaper that can wear down opponents in the postseason. A handful of teams will thus consider ponying up the Blue Jackets’ steep asking price.
Here’s how Jenner can assist their title chase.
Strength on the Puck
As if the center’s 6’2”, 208-pound frame weren’t troublesome enough down low, he plays even bigger than his size.
Jenner is indeed a tank in puck pursuit, compensating for his poor skating (below the 50th percentile in top speed) with muscle and a decent motor. He frequently wrestles a path under defenders’ sticks to claim 50/50 pucks. When he can’t establish that advantage, he’ll serve as a battering ram and barrel through a wall to obtain possession.
On many occasions, opponents can merely watch as he pins them on the boards and brute-forces the puck through multiple bodies to a waiting teammate. The 30-year-old (CBJ 38) simply plays hard in the trenches:
His impact around the biscuit doesn’t end there.
Although he doesn’t call his own number as often as he could, he’s effective in puck protection too, leaning on defenders and then bursting into space with a suddenness you wouldn’t expect from a power forward. That change of direction, paired with a sturdy free arm, enables Jenner to generate the breathing room he needs to either reset the offense or rumble downhill.
When the puck is up for grabs, the grizzled veteran bears down. We see this from him in several phases of the game. Among Blue Jackets forwards, he averages the third-most hits and second-most blocked shots (16th among NHL forwards). He wins 54.5% of his draws as well.
But it’s the one-on-one battles that really stand out. Whether he’s hunting or shielding possession, he brings a level of brawn and tenacity that the opposition struggles to contain:
As he and Calen Addison (MIN 2) race for the loose puck in the corner, the Wild defender feels so outgunned from the jump that he commits a holding penalty to slow Jenner down. Despite that infraction, the center hurls the defenseman to the ice like a helpless rag doll before recovering possession and swiveling away from Kirill Kaprizov (MIN 97).
Yeah, his stick rides up on Addison, but we can ignore that. The officiating crew often does in the postseason.
The point is Jenner provides a healthy dose of grown-man hockey against stiff competition (see the chart above). While he certainly doesn’t govern the entire ice surface, when the play goes through him, you’re in for a rough time. Anything within arm’s reach is his turf.
Net-Front Offense
Jenner’s best traits carry over nicely to the goalmouth area. His strength and stubbornness—both noticeable once he gets near the crease—make him a serious handful for blueliners.
Rather than orchestrating the offense from a safe distance, he’s the tip of the spear. A foot soldier who absorbs punishment in order to occupy defenders, create havoc and carve open seams for his more talented teammates. If you’re seeking production, he should not be the best player on his line.
His value lies in grunt work and finish at the point of attack:
Jenner’s comfortable playing with his back to the basket, so to speak, aiming to shroud goaltenders’ sight lines or find deflections with opponents crawling over his frame. On the PP, he’ll throw in the occasional pivot-to-forehand shot (think JVR or the Tkachuk brothers) to keep the PK honest.
In addition, his radar is well-tuned, as he routinely fishes pucks out of the heap or beats defenders to rebounds.
Unlike Jake Guentzel, Jenner puts defenders through the wringer not with his cleverness but with an unwavering net drive. He’s always causing a stir in the deep slot. Always hoping for that one greasy chance to materialize. Therefore, you can’t slip up around him.
Here’s an example of the mayhem he can introduce:
Jenner’s physicality overwhelms his mark again, as he blasts through Cam York’s (PHI 8) hook in an effort to breach the blue ice. At the same time, his arrival buries Travis Sanheim (PHI 6) in the cage (i.e. no man’s land). Jenner then has the wherewithal to locate the puck on his backhand and bump it to Ivan Provorov (CBJ 9), manufacturing an ugly goal out of a mad scramble.
This is nose-to-the-grindstone, bull-in-a-china-shop stuff—and the numbers suggest he’s a really effective wrecking ball in tight:
So far this year, he’s potted 16 goals in 37 contests on the 24th-ranked offense in the league. He ranks 14th in the NHL in goal-scoring rate at 5-on-5. He’s hit the 30-goal mark once and paced for it in four different seasons. He’s proven that he can tickle the twine.
Better yet, he appears to obtain a firmer foothold in the slot as games progress. His constant presence in the heart of the OZ runs defenses ragged.
Sounds like a player designed for a war of attrition.
Jenner isn’t a game-changer or play-driver. Neither is Ivan Barbashev, yet he was essential to the Golden Knights’ championship last season. These are forwards who, for all their analytical flaws, shine on the front line because they don’t break.
They play with the kind of heft that can tip the scales in a stalemate.