With three years of experience, Sillinger is ready for more

A leading scorer in junior hockey entering the 2021 draft billed as perhaps the best pure shooter in his class, Sillinger felt like he had made strides in that regard a season ago. After a difficult 2022-23 sophomore season that saw him finish with just three goals and 11 points in 64 games, Sillinger bounced back last year to score 13 goals to go along with career highs of 19 assists and 32 points in 77 games.

That brought him close to the 16-15-31 line from his debut season, in which he broke through at the age of 18. However, Sillinger feels that he has more chances to take the next step.

SUMMER IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Sillinger is 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 would say I’ve put myself in positions all year long. It’s just a matter of capitalizing and executing a little bit more. That’s something I’m emphasizing this summer. I’m just looking forward to getting myself back in those positions when the time is right and the time is right, to get them in the net or make a play.”

Perhaps the best part of Sillinger’s season last year was when injuries allowed him to play center and he showed he could be a consistent force in the game against some of the league’s best centers and lines.

That two-way ability makes him a valuable player, especially considering his age, and now the Jackets have him signed for the next two seasons at an AAV of $2.25 million per year. For Sillinger, that’s the ideal contract length to show he’s taking the next steps in his game.

“I think it landed perfectly,” he said. “For me, of course, I want to be a Blue Jacket for as long as possible, but with the new changes that we have in our organization, new faces in management, I’m obviously holding myself to a higher standard than what I’ve shown over the last three years.

“I feel like I’ve made progress, but it’s been a little inconsistent. Before anything long-term is done, I want to prove it a little bit more. I think this deal is a fair deal for both parties, and I’m just ready to put all that behind me and just play hockey.”

It also helps Sillinger to know that a new era of Blue Jackets hockey is coming. 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 spoke with this offseason.

While he wouldn’t say too much about the talks, Sillinger said he believes the Blue Jackets are in good hands going forward.

“I’ve had a chance to talk to them on the phone, and we just talked about the summer and got to know each other a little bit,” he said. “Nothing too deep, but it seemed like they’re good people, and they’ve obviously been around hockey for a while. That’s always good to have.

“I am pleased with the changes we made to the organization this summer, and I left the conversations feeling extremely motivated to return to Columbus and join the group.”

Sillinger has been spending 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.

It’s a place where you’ll have plenty of time to relax – boating and tennis are personal favorites, as is Sillinger’s hobby of golf – but Cole says he’s also been working hard to be ready for a successful campaign when he arrives in Columbus.

“The game is obviously getting faster, so I’m working on staying healthy, making sure my body feels good and continuing to improve my speed, my strength, my agility, my quickness,” he said. “That’s a big part of my offseason training, and then making sure that translates to the ice and then just the little details on the ice. It’s specific to the game, but I feel like it’s a lot about possession and maybe how I can expose defenders and create space for myself, areas where I think I can add offensive tools and execute a little bit more.”