Columbus Blue Jackets’ Boone Jenner to return Friday against Devils

On Wednesday, Columbus Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent told reporters that Boone Jenner is expected to return to the lineup against the New Jersey Devils on Friday.

Vincent said he’ll likely center a line with Adam Fantilli and Jack Roslovic in his first game back since suffering a fractured jaw.

Jenner was placed on injured reserve back on Dec. 9 after taking a puck to the face from teammate Ivan Provorov in a 5-2 win against the St. Louis Blues. Jenner was playing some of his best hockey to date at the time, scoring 13 goals and 20 points in 29 games in his third year as captain.

Jenner is coming off one of the best seasons of his career with 26 goals and 45 points in 68 contests. He set personal bests in 2015-16 while playing alongside Brandon Saad and Cam Atkinson, scoring 30 goals and 49 points to finish third in team scoring.

Jenner’s play earned him a spot in the 2024 NHL all-star game, taking place Feb. 3 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

The Blue Jackets have struggled again this season, sitting with a 14-21-9 record with 37 points to six 28th. They currently have the fifth-best odds of landing the first overall pick at the 2024 NHL Draft.

In Jenner’s 15-game absence, the Blue Jackets have gone 5-6-4, also placing them 28th in that span. The team is 3-4-3 over the past 10 games, but did edge the Vancouver Canucks 4-3 in the shootout this past Monday. They’ll face the Devils on Friday before getting a few days off to prepare for Tuesday’s contest against the Edmonton Oilers.