On the board.
Cole Sillinger scored his first goal of the 2022-23 campaign on Saturday night and with the injury bug plaguing this Blue Jackets team, hopefully, that goal leads to a lot more.
#CBJ Sillinger (1) goal pic.twitter.com/i4qe42t5VD
— Coby Maeir (@CobyMaeir) November 13, 2022
"For sure," Sillinger said. "It's nice to get one."
After scoring 16-15--31 as a rookie in 2021-22, Sillinger has posted just 1-2--3 in 14 games this season, but head coach Brad Larsen said not to forget that he's still a young player.
"He's a 19-year-old kid," Larsen said. "We forget about that for his maturity level, he's a 19-year-old kid, he's having to work through some things and they think he's he's handled it the right way."
While Sillinger's point total may be underwhelming, that doesn't tell the full story of his play. He's played solid two-way hockey this season, recording just one defensive zone giveaway and 0.94 expected goals per 60, according to moneypuck.com.
"He's always doing extra," Larsen said. "And he's always doing the right things off the ice to try and prepare. And he's gonna get. He's gonna be just fine."
Larsen's right, he will be just fine. As he said, Sillinger is still just 19 and has played only 93 NHL games. Obviously, his offensive stats aren't where everyone wants them to be, but there are still 68 games left, which equals a lot of time to post those offensive numbers.
With the injury bug going around the Jackets, they need players to step up. Sillinger has to be at the top of the list of players who can do that.
"Everyone wants more opportunity," Sillinger said. "So now's the time to go prove that you can take advantage of it."
The Jackets take on the Flyers Tuesday night at Nationwide Arena. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+/Hulu and on 97.1 FM The Fan.
