NHL Trade Rumors: Pending UFA Boone Jenner Linked To Canadian Team
The Columbus Blue Jackets captain is days away from becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
The Oilers, who were linked to Jenner as a trade target throughout the year, remain a logical fit, and the increasingly likely hiring of Mike Babcock as Edmonton's head coach actually does not dampen the odds of him signing with Edmonton.
The Babcock Connection
The NHL cleared Babcock on Thursday after completing its review of his 2023 tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets, removing the final major obstacle to his return to coaching.
Per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Oilers are expected to formally begin the hiring process, contract negotiations included, as early as next week.
The conventional concern with a Babcock hire is how many players might avoid Edmonton because of his presence behind the bench.
Jenner is not likely to be one of them.
Boone Jenner is likely to get 7M on July 1. Scott Laughton probably gets 5M+.
— Roberts&Tucks (@ldl716) June 19, 2026
Once FA hits and passes, Raddysh’s 8.5M will look closer to a bargain than an overpay.
The new NHL salary cap world is dramatically different than it was even 2 years ago.
8.5M is the new 6.5M.
When Babcock's time in Columbus imploded in September 2023 over allegations that he had asked players to scroll through personal photos on their phones, Jenner, then the Blue Jackets captain, was one of the few voices to publicly defend his coach.
Jenner said Babcock had asked about his family, his upcoming wedding, and hockey during their first meeting, and that he was happy to share some family pictures in return.
He called it a great first meeting, described it as a good way to build a relationship, and said the controversy had been blown out of proportion.
Whether that was the Blue Jackets sending Jenner out to quiet the noise or Jenner coming forward on his own, he backed Babcock when he did not have to.
The McDavid History
Although a bit of a reach, Jenner has played alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl before, skating on their line at the NHL All-Star Game, with those lines chosen by McDavid himself.
With Babcock surely to be named #Oilers head coach, with DJ Smith as an assistant, I wonder if Boone Jenner might be a possibility based on the statement he made about his interactions with Babcock. pic.twitter.com/csfU7PqwQ3
— Paul Almeida (@AzorcanGlobal) June 19, 2026
With Adam Henrique unlikely to return, Jenner is exactly the kind of physical, defensively responsible center the Oilers will be looking to add.
Why Jenner Fits
The Oilers need a third-line center, and Jason Dickinson, acquired before the deadline to fill that role, is a pending UFA who needs a new contract.
If Dickinson tests a thin free-agent market for centers and signs elsewhere, Edmonton could pivot directly to Jenner.
Jenner produced 38 points, including 13 goals and 25 assists, in 67 games last season, with his 11 even-strength goals ranking sixth on the Blue Jackets and his 32 five-on-five points ranking fifth.
His underlying metrics were all positive, per Natural Stat Trick, posting a 51.47 Corsi, a 51.90 goals-for percentage, and a 53.08 scoring-chances-for percentage, meaning he tilted the ice in Columbus's favor at five-on-five.
He is strong on faceoffs at 52.6 percent last season and 54 percent for his career, kills penalties, and brings a physical edge with 141 hits last season, second-most on his team.
He also has a hard shot, with NHL Edge data clocking his hardest at 90.27 mph, in the 85th percentile leaguewide.
The Risks
The downside is age and health.
Jenner turns 33 soon, and adding him could carry a similar risk to what Edmonton experienced with Adam Henrique, who was just a year older when the Oilers acquired him in March 2024 before his production dipped in the seasons that followed.
He missed 14 games last season with an upper-body injury and missed the first 56 games of the prior season after shoulder surgery.
He has not played more than 70 games since 2018-19.
There is no formal link yet, and the Babcock hiring is not yet official, but this is one to keep an eye on.
