Yesterday the Jackets didn’t make any trades but they did extend Boone Jenner. Boone signed a two year deal worth $5.8M.
The AAV on Boone Jenner's two-year extension with #CBJ is $2.9M ($5.8M total). Currently having a career year with 22 goals.
— Rob Mixer (@RobMixer) February 29, 2016
Much like the deal Ryan Murray signed this is your standard “prove it… bridge deal. Boone doesn’t have to prove he can stay healthy like Murray; he has to prove that this season was in fact a breakout and not a fluke.
Boone is in the middle of his best season of his young career. In 64 games he has already set a career high with in goals with 22 and points with 35. Boone has to prove over these next two years that this season is not a flash in the pan and he is in fact a perennial 20-25 goal scorer.
This isn’t a bad gamble to take for the Blue Jackets. Boone does have those 22 goals but a large portion of them (10) have come on the power play. Part of power play success comes from opportunity. Boone has excelled on the team’s top power play and in the short term that role will continue. Over the next two seasons who knows who the Jackets bring in and who might potentially cut into that power play time.
A big key for the Jackets is the length. Everything I wrote about the Murray deal is applicable here:
“And that is where the two years plays in perfectly. Murray will be due for another contract in 2018-19. He's going to want a big deal and conveniently the Jackets will have two big deals coming off the books. Jack Johnson and Fedor Tyutin will both be expiring that season and will be unrestricted free agents. That’s a little less than 9M coming off the books. A lot of that money will be shifted to younger players. Don’t be surprised to see a Boone Jenner and/or William Karlsson sign similar two year extensions.…
For Boone he gets some financial security from this deal. As a second round pick Boone didn’t get the bonus money that a player like Murray got. His current cap hit is $778,333 per General Fanager and the average annual value is only slightly higher at $894,166. This deal is a significant raise.
Boone is in the middle of a career year. The Jackets rewarded him for his strong season, but also didn’t make the mistake of overpaying for a career year. If Boone continues to play well over the next two seasons he will earn himself a long term contract.
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