Everyone is signed.
Cole Sillinger, the last of the Columbus Blue Jackets' restricted free agents to sign with the team, agreed to terms on 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 signed through the 2025-26 season.
Sillinger was the 12th overall selection in the 2021 NHL Draft. He made the team as an 18-year-old rookie in the 2021-22 season, scoring 16 goals and adding 15 assists for 31 points in 79 games.
"Cole Sillinger is a very smart, two-way center who competes extremely hard at both ends of the ice,” said Blue Jackets President and GM Waddell. “He played over 200 NHL games before turning 21 and is coming off his best season, so we are looking forward to his continued growth as a player. He is going to be an important part of the present and future of this club.”
Sillinger hit the proverbial "sophomore slump" in 2022-23, scoring just three goals in 64 games and finishing with 11 total points. But he bounced back last season with a career-high 32 points on 13 goals and 19 assists in 77 games.
Outside of the stat sheet, Sillinger looked far more comfortable as a two-way player and offered a noticeable difference in confidence and leadership. The development was noticed by the coaching staff, with Sillinger seeing a dramatic boost in ice time at 16:07 per game, up from 13:42 his rookie year and 13:09 in year two.
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 marks were 9.9 and 10.8 in his rookie and sophomore seasons, respectively. Only Boone Jenner averaged more faceoffs per game on the Blue Jackets.
| PLAYER | SIGNED THROUGH | AAV |
|---|---|---|
| Kirill Marchenko | 2026-27 | $3.85M |
| Cole Sillinger | 2025-26 | $2.25M |
| Kent Johnson | 2026-27 | $1.80M |
| Jet Greaves | 2025-26 | $813K |
| Jake Christiansen | 2024-25 | $775K |
As recently as a couple of weeks ago, the Blue Jackets had three important players without a contract for the upcoming season. Kent Johnson agreed to a three-year extension worth $5.4 million on July 27th, with Kirill Marchenko agreeing to terms on a three-year deal worth $11.55 million one day later.
Both players are now locked up through the 2026-27 season.
With Sillinger now signed, it's full steam ahead under new head coach Dean Evason as the Blue Jackets look to (finally) turn a corner.
