Cole Sillinger
I'm sure this name will surprise people. But, if the Blue Jackets are forced into a bit of a reset by a potential Zach Werenski departure; they would be wise to pass the torch on to the younger competitive core of this team.
With that idea in mind: who better than Cole Sillinger?
Cole is only 23 years old, but he's already a 5-year NHL veteran with 367 regular season games under his belt. While his offensive numbers haven't popped in a big way to this point; I think he is extremely undervalued for the traits he brings to this team. We saw it last season.
As part of that "identity line", Cole played in 81 games for the Blue Jackets, scoring a modest 8 goals and 33 points. I would encourage you to look past the numbers here, because I think he finally figured out his role and owned it last season.
Acquiring Coyle allowed the Blue Jackets to move Sillinger to the wing, where everything seemed to click for him. His play driving metrics showed marked improvement, which tracked with what I saw with the eye test.
No matter the matchup, this line was up to the task on a night in, night out basis. At this point in his career, I think it's safe to call Cole a middle-six shutdown, or match-up type player. With that said, however, it's worth noting that he was promoted to the top line when this team needed a filler. So, I believe there is still some hope within the organization that he can take another step.
Even if not, I think I would be comfortable naming him captain of my team. Cole sets the example on a shift-by-shift basis, and he can play anywhere in the lineup. That should remind you a little bit of this team's two most recent captains.
It's going to be interesting to see what direction this team decides to go once training camp and the new season's festivities kick of in earnest. Hopefully the new captain can help lead them to another level.
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