While many people have been pining for Don Waddell to improve the Blue Jackets roster, he has quietly done a terrific job keeping talent around. Today, that continued with the announcement of a three-year contract extension for Cole Sillinger.
Columbus and Cole Sillinger avoid arbitration with a settlement 3 X $4.625 M
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 24, 2026
The team avoids arbitration for another offseason. To this point, no player in CBJ history has ever made it into a hearing. As soon as the Jet Greaves hammer fell yesterday, it sounds like the team got right to work on this one.
Cole Sillinger does not get the credit he deserves.
While he hasn't yet turned into the top of the lineup player many hoped he would become, Cole has become a valuable core member of this team.
Often, the expectations that come with a high draft pick are unfair. I would argue that this is exactly what the perception has become with this player. Cole has not produced like you might expect a top-12 pick who stepped right into the NHL at age 18 to produce.
However, at 23 years old, he already has nearly 400 NHL games under his belt. This season, he established himself as an important utility player, though maybe better suited on the wing than at the center position he was drafted to play in.
On a line with Charlie Coyle and Mathieu Olivier, Cole flourished with the easier responsibilities that come with playing on the wing. Their line became arguably one of the best third lines in the entire NHL, giving the Blue Jackets depth and reliability.
When the team needed a spark, on many occasions it was that line that hopped over the boards. Cole also showed a penchant for playing higher up in the lineup when needed, filling in for Mason Marchment on the top line.
I still believe there is more offense to his game, and now he has a nifty three-year contract with a team-friendly AAV that will give him plenty of time to unlock it. But, even if he doesn't, this contract is perfectly suited for a player who will play in this team's middle six for its duration.
This is tidy work by the Blue Jackets, and a nice increase in pay for a player who has certainly earned it.
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