A high scorer in junior hockey who entered the 2021 draft being billed as perhaps the best pure shooter in his class, Sillinger felt like he made strides in that regard a season ago. Coming off a difficult sophomore season of 2022-23 in which he finished with just three goals and 11 points in 64 games, Sillinger bounced back last year to post 13 tallies to go with career highs of 19 assists and 32 points in 77 contests.
It got him back to near his 16-15-31 line from his rookie campaign in which he burst onto the scene at age 18, but Sillinger feels like there’s even more opportunity in his game to take the next step.
SUMMER SPOTLIGHT: Sillinger ready to roll
“I feel like I had my looks,” he said of a season ago. “You said the second half of the year, but I’d argue it was maybe all year that I was getting myself in positions. It’s just a matter of capitalizing and executing a little more. That’s something I put an emphasis on this summer. I’m just looking forward to getting myself back in those positions when the time comes and the time presents itself, put them in the back of the net or make a play.”
Perhaps the best part of Sillinger’s season ago came when injuries down the middle allowed him to play up the lineup, and he showed he could be a consistent driver of play against some of the top centers and lines in the league.
That two-way ability makes him a valuable player, especially given his age, and now he’s locked up by the Jackets for the next two seasons at a $2.25 million AAV per year. To Sillinger, that’s the ideal contract length to be able to show that he’s taking the next steps in his game.
“I think it landed perfectly,” he said. “For me, obviously I want to be a Blue Jacket for as long as I can, but just with the new changes we have in our organization, new faces in the management, obviously I 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. Before something longer term would get done, I’d like to prove it a little bit more. I think this deal is a fair deal for both sides, and I’m just ready to put all that past me and just play hockey.”
It also helps Sillinger to know that there’s a new era of Blue Jackets hockey on the way. The team has a new president of hockey operations and general manager in Don Waddell plus a new head coach in Dean Evason, both of whom Sillinger has chatted with this offseason.
While he didn’t want to divulge too much about those discussions, Sillinger said he thinks the Blue Jackets are in good hands going forward.
“I’ve had the opportunity to speak to them via phone call, and we just talked about summer and got to know each other a little bit,” he said. “Nothing too in-depth, but it seemed like they are good people, and obviously they have been around the game of hockey for a while. That’s always good to have.
“I love the changes we made in the organization this summer, and I left the calls extremely motivated to get back to Columbus and get with the group.”
Sillinger has spent his summer with friends and family in Kelowna, British Columbia, training with his brothers Owen – who signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Blue Jackets this summer – and Lukas as they look to continue their hockey careers as well.
It’s a place where there’s plenty of time for relaxation – boating and tennis are personal favorites, as well as the Sillinger pastime of golf – but Cole notes he’s also put in the work to be ready for a successful campaign when he arrives in Columbus.
“Obviously the game is getting faster and faster, so I’m working on staying healthy, making sure the body feels right and continued improvements on speed, strength, agility and quickness,” he said. “That’s a lot of my offseason training, and then making sure that translates to on the ice and then just the little details on the ice. It’s game specific, but I feel like it’s been a lot of possession and maybe how to expose defenders and create space for myself, areas I think I can add offensive tools and execute a little more.”
