Cole Sillinger has spent years getting labeled as a player who still needs to “figure it out,” but the Blue Jackets already got what they drafted: a useful NHL forward who can do a little of everything and hold down a real role.
That’s the part that tends to get lost with first-round picks, especially once you get past the very top of the board. Not every selection has to become a headline scorer to justify the pick.
Sometimes the win is simpler than that: you land a player who belongs in the league. Columbus did that with Sillinger at the 2021 NHL Draft, when they took him 12th overall - really 11th, since Arizona forfeited its pick that summer.
And through this point, nobody from that draft class has topped him in games played.
The Jackets were clearly high on him. In the team’s Behind the Battle episode from that draft, former AGM Josh Flynn says they would love to get Kent Johnson and Cole Sillinger (around the 16:00 mark).
That hope got a boost when the Ottawa Senators went off the board - way off the board - and picked Tyler Boucher at No. 10.
With Arizona out of the picture, Columbus ended up with a player it had valued higher than 12th overall.
Sillinger made the case immediately. He arrived at the CBJ prospect camp that fall and impressed enough to earn a spot at main training camp. Then he did something even more telling: he was the only player from his draft class to start that season in the NHL.
As an 18-year-old, he played 79 games, scored 16 goals and finished with 31 points while handling center duties for the Blue Jackets. That’s not easy work for a teenager, especially one asked to line up down the middle against the best players in the world.
What he brought was less flash than steady, dependable impact. He showed up, worked, and played every shift like it mattered. That kind of game doesn’t always get the loudest praise, but it matters.
Even now, Sillinger still gets treated by some as a player who hasn’t become enough of a scorer. He’s been tossed into trade ideas and brushed aside as if he’s merely a piece to move. But the reality is that he has stayed important for Columbus.
He handles the hard jobs. He can play center, though he may fit better on the wing. He adds some offense, helps drive play with his board work, can drop the gloves when needed, and kills penalties.
He’s also the type of player the Blue Jackets needed enough that, in a lot of ways, he kept them from having to give Boone Jenner an ugly contract this summer. The profile is similar: a versatile forward who can help in the middle six and fill different roles without needing the puck on his stick all night.
At 23, Sillinger has already shown he can be a valuable two-way NHL player. The conversation should be less about when the offense is finally going to arrive and more about recognizing what he already is.
In Other News...
Blue Jackets Fans Are Running Out Of Patience With Cayden Lindstrom
Cayden Lindstrom arrived in Columbus with the kind of draft pedigree that usually buys a prospect plenty of patience, but the early returns have only sharpened the scrutiny. Taken fourth overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, he was once viewed as the Blue Jackets top prospect, yet his stock has slipped to No. 6 on the organizations latest list after a season at Michigan State that did not match the expectations attached to a high pick.
The numbers tell part of the story, with 3 goals and 10 points in 31 games, and they have done little to quiet the concerns around his development. For a fan base eager to see a real payoff from such a prominent investment, the coming season now feels important for Lindstrom in a way that goes beyond prospect rankings, because Columbus is still waiting for signs that he can turn promise into something much more concrete. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Still Have One Adam Fantilli Question Hanging Over Them
The Blue Jackets have already taken care of a couple of their own this summer by re-signing Jet Greaves and Cole Sillinger, but the biggest item left on the checklist is still Adam Fantilli. Columbus has been working through contract talks with the free agent center, and the expectation is that those discussions will pick back up next week after a brief pause.
There is no sense of alarm around the situation yet, especially with the club carrying just under $14.5 million in cap room to work with. Fantillis rise has made him one of the more important pieces in Columbus, and even with the talks on hold for the moment, the Blue Jackets still appear to have the flexibility to get something done once the conversation resumes. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Just Reinforced A Crucial Part Of Their Prospect Pipeline
Kevin Labanc is heading overseas for next season after signing a one-year deal with SC Rapperswil-Jona in Switzerland, another reminder of how quickly NHL depth can shift once free agency settles and players start choosing different paths. For Columbus, Labancs decision closes the book on a short stay with the Blue Jackets and leaves another familiar name off the North American board as teams continue sorting through their summer plans.
Elsewhere on the prospect front, Filip Novak landed with the Victoria Royals after his rights were acquired from Lethbridge, giving the Blue Jackets another young player to track in the CHL pipeline. The broader development picture keeps moving too, with Florida locking in its ECHL tie to Savannah for three more years and defenseman Kyle Masters choosing the University of Alberta for next season after a winding run through the trade market. [Read more 🡒]