Cole Sillinger’s NHL career with the Columbus Blue Jackets has been a rollercoaster. After making the team out of training camp in his draft year, Sillinger had a solid rookie season and didn’t look out of place. Expectations for him in his sophomore campaign were high, but his development has been far from linear.
Sillinger Standout Rookie and Sophomore Slump
It’s rare for a 12th-overall pick to make his NHL debut right after being drafted, but that’s what Sillinger did for the 2021-22 season. Part of the reasoning was that, as a USHL player, he was eligible to play for the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League (AHL) despite being 18 years old. If he succeeded, he’d stay in the NHL. If not, he could continue to develop at a professional level.
He played very well in his rookie campaign and earned a regular spot in the Blue Jackets’ lineup. Under rookie head coach Brad Larsen, Sillinger finished tenth on the team in points with 31 and sixth in goals, with 16. He was far from perfect but seemed well on his way to becoming a reliable top-six center. However, that wasn’t the case in his sophomore season.
Sillinger’s point totals dropped significantly in his second year, recording 11 in 64 games. Not only did he struggle offensively, but he also had moments where he seemed invisible. Eventually, it came in handy that management could send him to the Monsters, and he was demoted near the end of the 2022-23 season. Looking back on that season, it could be argued that former general Jarmo Kekalainen waited too long to pull the trigger on that move. Unsurprisingly, Sillinger looked much better in the AHL. He put up 6 points in 11 games and seemed to regain his confidence.
Sillinger Bounces Back
Heading into the 2023-24 season, the Blue Jackets needed Sillinger to regain his form, and he did just that. He got his offensive production back to the same level as his rookie season, with 32 points in 77 games. He also looked more responsible in other areas of the game despite the team’s overall struggles. Head coach Pascal Vincent trusted him defensively, and he started 17% of his shifts in the defensive zone, according to MoneyPuck. Sillinger also blocked more than twice as many shots as the year before. He seemed to be back on track.
This season, Sillinger has again been on a bit of a rollercoaster. He got off to a massively hot start under the third head coach of his short NHL career, Dean Evason. In October, he had eight points in nine games. Since the start of November, though, he’s been held without a point through five games. Unsurprisingly, the team as a whole has been struggling this month, but Sillinger has a history of inconsistency, which makes his lack of offense concerning.
Related: Blue Jackets Offensive Struggles Continue in Loss to Ducks
At 21 years old, Sillinger is already in his fourth NHL season. That alone means he’s doing something right, but his inability to remain consistent is something that Evason will need to find a way to correct. When he is rolling, he’s hard to stop, but when he’s struggling, it seems almost impossible to pull him out of it. His hot start to the season has shown promise – the key is seeing if he can bounce back after a difficult beginning of November.
