All are signed.
Cole Sillinger, the last of the Columbus Blue Jackets’ restricted free agents to sign with the team, agreed to a two-year contract worth $4.5 million. The deal has an average annual value of $2.25 Million, with the 21-year-old now under contract until the 2025-26 season.
Sillinger was selected 12th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft. He made the team as an 18-year-old rookie in the 2021-22 season and scored 16 goals and 15 assists for 31 points in 79 games.
“Cole Sillinger is a very smart center who plays both ways and is extremely competitive at both ends of the ice,” said Blue Jackets President and GM Waddell. “He played over 200 NHL games before his 21st birthday and just had his best season, so we look forward to his continued development as a player. He will be an important part of the present and future of this club.”
Sillinger experienced the proverbial “sophomore slump” in 2022-23, scoring just three goals in 64 games and finishing the season with a total of 11 points. But he rebounded last season with a career-high 32 points on 13 goals and 19 assists in 77 games.
Beyond the stats, Sillinger looked much more confident as a two-way player and showed a noticeable difference in confidence and leadership. The development was noticed by the coaching staff, and Sillinger’s ice time increased dramatically to 16:07 per game, compared to 13:42 in his freshman year and 13:09 in his sophomore year.
Sillinger’s potential as a center was also highlighted in the 2023-24 season, with an average of 12.6 faceoffs per game. His previous numbers were 9.9 and 10.8 in his rookie and sophomore seasons, respectively. Only Boone Jenner averaged more faceoffs per game for the Blue Jackets.
| PLAYER | SIGNED BY | AAV |
|---|---|---|
|
Kirill Marchenko |
2026-27 |
3.85 million USD |
|
Cole Sillinger |
2025-26 |
2.25 million USD |
|
Kent Johnson |
2026-27 |
1.80 million USD |
|
Jetted Greaves |
2025-26 |
813,000 US dollars |
|
Jake Christiansen |
2024-25 |
775,000 US dollars |
Just a few weeks ago, the Blue Jackets had three key players out of contract for the upcoming season. Kent Johnson agreed to a three-year, $5.4 million contract extension on July 27, and Kirill Marchenko agreed to a three-year, $11.55 million deal a day later.
Both players now have a contract until the 2026–27 season.
With the signing of Sillinger, things are moving full steam ahead under new head coach Dean Evason and the Blue Jackets want to (finally) turn things around.
