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Blue Jackets welcome Jenner back against Senators, start Merzlikins
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- Blue Jackets welcome Jenner back against Senators, start Merzlikins
The Blue Jackets will get captain Boone Jenner and his relentless battle level back from injury when they host the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 11 at Nationwide Arena.
After missing 14 games with an upper-body injury , Jenner is returning to a spot at left wing on the second line, skating with center Adam Fantilli and right wing Kent Johnson . They got off to a slow start to the season playing together, but the hope now is that Jenner's non-stop motor will provide a lift for his line and the team as the Blue Jackets look to nix a three-game skid.
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"Commitment is one of our keys here tonight," Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason said. "(Jenner's) committed to both ends ... keeping it out of the net, putting it in the net. He's committed in all areas, so we're looking forward to having him back."
Columbus Blue Jackets center Boone Jenner (38) skates on the ice in the first period at Nationwide Arena on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio.
Jenner was activated off injured reserve after the Blue Jackets' morning skate and rookie forward Luca Del Bel Belluz was loaned back to the AHL's Cleveland Monsters to create a roster spot.
Other lineup changes include shaking up the forward combinations plus goalie Elvis Merzlikins starting after Jet Greaves shined in defeat the previous two games . Linus Ullmark will start for the Senators (13-12-4), who've lost six of their past eight games and the last three in a row.
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Merzlikins' last game, a 7-6 overtime loss Dec. 6 against the Florida Panthers , was eventful at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida. The goal is to make this one calmer around him, starting with a drive led by Jenner to win more puck battles.
"Just to elaborate on the 'commitment' part is that he's committed to winning those battles, he's committed to finishing checks, he's committed to keeping the puck out of the net and he's committed to go to the net," Evason said. "Regardless (of whether) he scores or not, he does the right things in all areas of the game, and he's just ... he's our leader. He's our captain. So, to have that attitude back hopefully will drag some (other) people into it, as well."
Jenner was injured Nov. 11 in Seattle and left after skating one shift in the second period. The Blue Jackets went 5-4-5 without him, including 3-0-4 in seven games where leads disappeared.
"I'm not trying to do anything special," Jenner said. "I'm just going to bring what I've always brought, compete with the guys and be back with the group. I'm really looking forward to that and I'm excited for the challenge and opportunity to get back out there with the guys."
Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Dmitri Voronkov (10) and center Sean Monahan (23) celebrate a goal by center Adam Fantilli during the second period of the NHL hockey game against the Detroit Red Wings at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Dec. 4, 2025.
The other big lineup change is flip-flopping the top two centers, Fantilli and Sean Monahan . Fantilli returns to the second line while Monahan heads back to the top line with left wing Dmitri Voronkov and right wing Kirill Marchenko , whom he thrived with last season.
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That moves Cole Sillinger back to right wing on the third line with Miles Wood and center Charlie Coyle while Isac Lundestrom moves back to center a fourth line with Brendan Gaunce at left wing and Yegor Chinakhov on the right.
"We've lost three games in a row, right? Haven't we?" Evason said, when asked about flip-flopping Fantilli and Monahan. "That's it."
Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com and @BrianHedger.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets welcome Jenner back against Senators, start Merzlikins
