Blue Jackets get Jenner, Marchenko back as playoff push resumes
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The Columbus Blue Jackets activated forwards Boone Jenner and Krill Marchenko from injured reserve, marking key additions for the club ahead of the trade deadline.
The Blue Jackets sit one point back of the Detroit Red Wings for the final wild-card spot as the NHL season gets set to resume Saturday after the 4 Nations break. Columbus is also just two points back of the Ottawa Senators who hold the top wild-card spot.
The news was not all good on Friday, though, as the team also announced that forward Kevin Lebanc underwent shoulder surgery on Feb. 18 and will be out for the rest of the season. Owen Sillinger will also miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.
Jenner, 31, missed the first 56 games of the season after sustaining a shoulder injury on Oct. 4 that required surgery. The Blue Jackets' captain is the franchise’s all-time leader in games played and ranks third in goals and points. He has 192 goals and 172 assists for 364 points in 715 career games. The Dorchester, Ont., native was selected by the Blue Jackets in the second round, 37th overall, at the 2011 NHL Draft.
Marchenko, 24, missed the past three games after undergoing surgery to repair a broken jaw he sustained on Feb. 2 against the Dallas Stars. He has 21 goals and 55 points in 53 games this season. He has 65 goals and 122 points in 190 career games, all with the Blue Jackets. He was selected by Columbus in the second round, 49th overall, at the 2018 NHL Draft and made his debut in 2022-23.
Lebanc, 29, signed a one-year deal with the club on Oct. 5 and scored two goals to go along with 10 assists in 34 games. He has 84 goals ans 237 points in 512 career games with the Blue Jackets and San Jose Sharks.
Sillinger, 27, make his NHL debut earlier this season and played one game without recording a point. He has 11 goals and 29 points in 44 games with the AHL's Cleveland Monsters.