Columbus Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason and GM Don Waddell on their philosophy
Don Waddell, general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets, introduces new head coach Dean Evason during a press conference at Nationwide Arena.
Don Waddell has checked off another important item on his summer to-do list with the Blue Jackets.
The Jackets’ President of Hockey Operations/General Manager signed 21-year-old center Cole Sillinger to a two-year, $4.5 million contract with a $2.25 million penalty against the NHL salary cap. Sillinger was playing for the first time since being selected on April 12.th in total in 2021, so that it had no right to arbitration as a bargaining chip.
However, Sillinger has a resume that includes 32 goals, 42 assists and 74 points in 220 NHL games over three seasons for the Blue Jackets, who now consider him one of their top three pivots.
More: Cole Sillinger made “great progress” for the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023/24
Sillinger entered the NHL at 18, just months after former Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen made him the second of three first-round picks for Columbus. Kent Johnson was selected seven spots earlier, fifth overall, and defenseman Corson Ceulemans was selected 25th overall.th choose.
Johnson returned to Michigan for his sophomore year, Ceulemans went to the University of Wisconsin for the first of two college seasons, and Sillinger earned a spot with the Blue Jackets during his first NHL training camp. After impressing alongside rookie Yegor Chinakhov at the Traverse City NHL Prospects Tournament, the two took their chemistry into training camp. Both showed glimpses of what they could become, but also struggled with the inconsistency typical of NHL rookies.
Sillinger played as a center on all four lines for some time and showed why he was drafted so high.
The son of longtime former NHL center Mike Sillinger scored 16 goals, 15 assists and finished with 31 points in 79 games, averaging 13:42 minutes per game on the ice. Sillinger also scored his first NHL hat trick as a rookie and played many minutes with former veteran Jakub Voracek.
Sillinger also held his own in faceoffs, winning 46.5% of 779 faceoffs, a career high. The biggest challenge came in Sillinger’s second NHL season, where he dropped his record to just 3-8-11 in 64 games before finishing his season with AHL Cleveland. After an offseason in which he traded size for speed, he returned to Columbus last year with a new number (4) and a fresh set of skills.
Although his scoring prowess continued, Sillinger was finally able to get his production back into double figures with 13 goals, 19 assists and a career-high 32 points. He also became more effective as a two-way pivot, getting time on the front three lines. Sillinger’s plus/minus rating improved from -23 in the 2022-23 season to just -4, and he won 46.3% of 972 faceoffs in 77 games.
On offense, Sillinger created more scoring opportunities for himself and others by using his strength and mass to hold onto the puck 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-threat chances.
More: Columbus Blue Jackets extend contract with Kent Johnson for three years
Since his rookie year, Sillinger has trailed only captain Boone Jenner in both of those categories. If the scoring instinct that got him goals in juniors can resurface, the Jackets could be looking for an impressive performance from Sillinger that could help them exceed expectations.
For more information about the Columbus Blue Jackets, check out the Cannon Fodder podcast
