The NHL offseason is heating up, and Columbus Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner is right in the mix of the action. Rumor has it that Jenner might be swapping his Blue Jackets jersey for a Washington Capitals one.
During the U.S. broadcast of the 2026 NHL Draft's first round, ESPN's Kevin Weekes dropped some intriguing hints, suggesting Jenner could be heading to Washington as a free agent. The Capitals are certainly on a mission this offseason, determined to bounce back from a lackluster 2025-26 campaign.
They've already bolstered their lineup with the likes of Alex Tuch from the Buffalo Sabres and Jordan Kyrou from the St. Louis Blues, and adding Jenner could further strengthen their forward group.
Jenner's potential departure from the Blue Jackets isn't exactly a shocker. Reports have been swirling about a likely split, partly due to Jenner's diminished role last season, which complicated contract extension talks.
At 33, Jenner has been a loyal Blue Jacket, playing all 808 games of his NHL career with the team and becoming the franchise's all-time leader in games played. Despite a reduced role under coach Rick Bowness, Jenner still managed to notch 13 goals and 38 points last season.
If he does land with the Capitals, he could be a valuable asset in their bottom-six forward lineup.
Shifting gears to other Eastern Conference news, the Capitals recently traded pending UFA center David Kampf to the Buffalo Sabres as part of the deal to acquire Tuch. However, don't expect Kampf to suit up for the Sabres next season.
According to Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic, Kampf's inclusion in the trade was more about balancing contract numbers, and the Sabres aren't planning to sign him. Kampf, 31, faced a challenging 2025-26 season, starting in the AHL and eventually joining the Canucks after a mutual contract termination, only to play a mere two games following his trade to Washington.
Meanwhile, veteran forward Claude Giroux of the Ottawa Senators is dipping his toes into the unrestricted free agency pool next week. But don't count out a return to Ottawa just yet, as reported by Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.
While many assumed the 38-year-old, who hails from the Ottawa area, would finish his career with his hometown team, LeBrun's report suggests otherwise. Giroux, with 1,345 NHL games under his belt, proved he's still a capable middle-six scorer last season, tallying 14 goals and 49 points.
Given that Giroux hasn't reached the conference finals since 2010, he might be exploring free agency to find a spot with a top contender, a status Ottawa hasn't quite achieved yet.
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Senators Face A Massive Artem Zub Decision This Offseason
Artem Zubs value to Ottawa showed up all season, from the steady minutes he logged to the way he and Jake Sanderson quietly formed one of the leagues most effective defensive pairs. Zub also delivered the most productive year of his career in 81 games, giving the Senators a right-shot defender who brought structure at even strength and enough offense to make his role even more important heading into the offseason.
Now comes the hard part for the Senators, who are expected to open talks on a new deal that could run four or five years. The number attached to that conversation is not small, with the sides likely circling a range in the neighborhood of $6 million to $6.5 million per season, a price that reflects both Zubs importance and the reality that Ottawa has to decide how much it wants to invest in keeping that pairing intact for the long haul. [Read more 🡒]