Cole Sillinger re-signs with Columbus Blue Jackets
Don Waddell has checked off his final summer re-signing item from a packed Blue Jackets “to do” list.
The Jackets’ president of hockey operations/general manager signed center Cole Sillinger, 21, to a two-year, $4.5 million contract Wednesday that carries a $2.25 million charge against the NHL salary cap. Sillinger was a restricted free agent for the first time since being selected 12th overall in 2021, so he didn’t have arbitration rights as negotiating leverage.
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What Sillinger does have is a resume that includes 32 goals, 42 assists and 74 points in 220 NHL games over three seasons for the Blue Jackets, who are now counting on him as one of their top three pivots.
"It’s about consistency now," Waddell said. "He had a very good first season. His second year wasn’t as good, which we’ve seen a thousand times, the 'sophomore' season, and last year he rebounded. So, you want to believe that he can take off from where he finished last year and continue that moving forward, beginning this year.”
Initially, Sillinger and his agent, Craig Oster of Newport Sports Management, sought a five-year extension. The challenge quickly became the required salary amount per year weighed against what he'd done through his first three NHL seasons. They eventually agreed with Waddell that a two-year "bridge" deal would work best for both sides, keeping Sillinger's salary at a lower average rate while allowing him to earn much more on a long-term deal the next time he's a restricted free agent in 2026.
“I think it landed perfectly," Sillinger said. "I want to be a Blue Jacket for as long as I can, and with the new changes we have with our organization, new faces in management, I want to hold myself to a higher standard than what I’ve shown over the last three years. I feel like I’ve progressed, but it’s been a little inconsistent. So, before something longer term gets done, I would like to prove it a little bit more. So, I think this deal is a fair deal for both sides, and I’m just ready to put all that past me and play hockey.”
Sillinger broke into the NHL at age 18, just a few months after former Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen made him the second of three first-round picks for Columbus. Kent Johnson was chosen seven spots earlier, fifth overall, and defenseman Corson Ceulemans was taken with the 25th pick.
Johnson returned to Michigan for his sophomore season, Ceulemans went to the University of Wisconsin and Sillinger earned a spot with the Blue Jackets during his first NHL training camp. After impressing at the Traverse City NHL Prospects Tournament alongside fellow rookie Yegor Chinakhov, the two carried their chemistry into camp. Both showed flashes of what they could become, while also battling inconsistencies common among NHL rookies.
Spending time playing center with all four lines, Sillinger showed why he was drafted so highly. The son of longtime former Blue Jackets center Mike Sillinger netted 16 goals, added 15 assists and finished with 31 points in 79 games, averaging 13:42 per game. Sillinger also netted his first NHL hat trick as a rookie, playing extensive minutes with playmaking veteran Jakub Voracek.
Sillinger held his own on faceoffs too, winning a career-high 46.5% of 779 draws. The biggest challenge arrived, as Waddell mentioned, during his second NHL season. His offensive production dipped to 3-8-11 in 64 games before finishing out with AHL Cleveland, but he returned last year with a new number (4) and fresh outlook.
Despite his goal-scoring struggles continuing, Sillinger pushed his production back into double-digits with 13 goals, 19 assists and 32 points in 77 games, becoming a more effective two-way center while again logging time on all four lines. Sillinger's plus/minus rating also improved significantly, from –23 in 2022-23 to -4, and he won 46.3% of 972 faceoffs.
Offensively, Sillinger generated more scoring chances for himself and others by utilizing his strength and bulk to hang onto pucks longer. According to Natural Stat Trick, Sillinger led the Blue Jackets with 146 individual scoring chances at even strength and ranked third with 61 high danger chances.
"It’s just a matter of capitalizing," Sillinger said. "I executed a little more, and that’s something I’ve put more emphasis on this summer. Now, I’m just looking forward to getting myself back into those positions, and when the time comes, put (the puck) in the back of the net or make a play, whether it’s in the offensive zone, defensive zone or whatever it is.”
Since his rookie year, Sillinger is second only to captain Boone Jenner in both categories. Should his scoring touch that allowed him to rack up goals in junior emerge, the Jackets could be in store for an impressive breakout season from a key young member of their core group, which could help them outperform expectations in new coach Dean Evason's first year.
That's now Sillinger's main focus.
Evason is the Blue Jackets' third head coach since April 2022, but he wasn't hired as a short-term fix. He's expected to stick around to shape a remaining rebuild process that Waddell and the Jackets' front office hopes will soon lead Columbus back to the playoffs.
“It's maybe not ideal to have a third coach in four years, but it seems like with this hire we’re going to have some sustainability, and you can almost feel it," Sillinger said. "I’m very excited for that, very excited to get to know Dean, excited to play under him, and I know our whole entire group is too. We can’t wait to get to Columbus and get the ball rolling."
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets ink Cole Sillinger to extension
