Boone Jenner: Worth More Than You Think to the Columbus Blue Jackets

BOOOOOOOOONE. You can hear it now. Fan favorite Boone Jenner just re-signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets for four years. Was it a good deal for the club?

Coming off a rollercoaster season that saw Boone Jenner come on late, the 25-year old Canadian just inked a fresh four year extension with the Columbus Blue Jackets. At $3.75 million dollars per year, some are wondering if the Jackets overpaid for the streaky winger.

Boone defenders will be quick to reference his 30-goal, 2015-2016 season. Thanks to Hockey Reference, we can dissect that number and the rest of his stats further.

Jenner missed seven games in 2017-2018 and limped into the season after missing the entire fall camp with a strange back injury. Needless to say, he got a very slow start. After the February 26th trade deadline however, Boone turned it up and helped the team make a late playoff surge. Scoring a total of 32 points (13G, 19A), Boone underwhelmed some but ended the year with a bang.

Leading the team last season in hits (205), some would argue he earns part of that $3.75M for his physical play. I wouldn’t disagree. His character and assistant captainship also have to count for something, even if many want to distribute checks according to stats alone.

Some say numbers don’t lie. Let’s see then if stats alone shine a friendly light on number 38’s new four year deal. If nothing, I’m happy to provide fresh material for arguments on whether or not the Jackets should’ve re-signed the gritty winger.

Hidden Value

If you’re not a Boone fan – consider first how abysmal the Columbus Blue Jackets were in the face-off circle last year. The Jackets finished a lowly 26th in the NHL at 48.4%. Now imagine that number without Jenner’s team-high 55.5%. I’ll do the math for you, it’s not a pretty outcome.

To be statistically perfect, their 48.4% drops to an even worse 47.6%. That would be good for three spots away from the league’s cellar.

With Brandon Dubinsky‘s minutes plummeting and Riley Nash‘s history of struggles in the face-off circle, let’s be quick to admire Boone’s consistency there. With Matt Calvert off to Colorado, number 38 is likely to become the Jackets top penalty killing asset. Sure it’s not as sexy a role as a power play sniper, but it’s just as important.

Last but not least, winning teams block shots. Stanley Cup winners block shots. Nothing says “team player” like diving in front of a 100mph flying projectile. As fans, we become numb to the sacrifice but we shouldn’t. The same goes for player appreciation.

It might seem like all players willingly take pucks to protect their net, but some don’t. Some do it much more than others in fact. Still can’t fully appreciate Boone Jenner? He lead all forwards in blocked shots last season (83) and by a chunk. If that number doesn’t do much for you, our beloved star winger Artemi Panarin only blocked 19. Even crash course Matt Calvert paled to compare to Jenner, with just 35 shots blocked.

As much as many anti-Jenners would love to see more consistency in the scoring department, some of these less flashy statistics are where he subtly accrues value. Believe it or not, there’s a number of reasons why some teams were clamoring for “Jens” at last February’s trade deadline.

Sometimes, in a consolation title sort of way, people like Jenner are referred to as “glue guys.” No one wants to shell out big coin to a glue guy, but the thing is – they can mean more to a team’s dynamic than their paycheck will reflect. Some teams pay well over a player’s paper value for this hard to quantify attribute.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – MARCH 15: Scott Laughton #21 of the Philadelphia Flyers battles for the puck along the boards against Boone Jenner #38 of the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 15, 2018 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)

I personally think Jenner’s wholistic stat sheet speaks for his $3.75M per year deal. Many would argue he’s still collecting on his 30 goal season in 2015-2016 but when you zoom out and look at the big picture, it’s not hard to validate his wage.

Whether Boone plays on the second or third line is to be determined for 2018-2019. With a hoard of talented young forwards seeking minutes, it will be interesting to see who is slotted where. That being said, Boone won’t be on the fourth line. He might not be the sniper or scoring threat some of the younger players are, but this goes back to the big picture.

Jenner brings a unique variety of hustle, aggression and blue paint scoring to whichever line he is on. At times, it seemed like having Calvert and Jenner both seemed like too many “effort guys” on the ice, not enough scoring. As referenced before, with Calvert’s departure, the Columbus Blue Jackets still need this type of player. Two might have been too many, but I believe we need one and Jenner brings more to the table than Matty Ice.

Points junkies might not see the Jenner contract as a wise move, but Jarmo and Co. certainly do. On a team that somehow seems to continue getting younger every year, Jenner’s fives seasons of experience and strange collection of qualities play a very important role for the CBJ.

Next: Where Did Former CBJ Players Land in Free Agency?

Even if you weren’t thrilled with the four year extension prior to reading this, I hope you are now. As hockey fans we too often get caught up, lost in goals and assists. Boone Jenner brings some of that, but he brings a lot of everything else.

Here’s to four more years in Nationwide for number 38.

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