The Blue Jackets signed two Monsters to NHL-level contracts this summer. Who are they?
While most of the hockey world has gone to sleep for the next two months, Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell has made some moves in the past few weeks. Today, we'll look at the signings of two players to NHL-level contracts: Owen Sillinger and Cole Clayton.
Sep 24, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets center Owen Sillinger (76) celebrates with Cole Sillinger (4) after Owen scored a goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
With summer cabin season in full swing across the hockey landscape, now is a great time to look at some new additions signed by the Columbus Blue Jackets. I see these players as depth pieces who will spend most of the year in the American Hockey League/ECHL.
We'll start with two players signed to new NHL-level deals for the 2024-2025 season. Both of these players will likely be familiar names to those Jackets fans who paid attention to the Cleveland Monsters' deep playoffs run last season...
Owen Sillinger
Sep 29, 2022; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets forward Owen Sillinger (76) in action against the St. Louis Blues during the first period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
The last name is a dead giveaway: Owen Sillinger is the older brother of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Cole Sillinger. Owen grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan, the same hometown as his father: former fan-favorite Mike Sillinger, who played for the Blue Jackets from 2001 to 2003.
Following a standout U18 Junior career in Canada and spending time in the BCHL with the Penticton Vees, Owen committed to playing for Bemidji State University in Minnesota (NCAA), instead of continuing his hockey career in Canada.
While he went undrafted into the NHL, Owen stood out as a slightly undersized center in the NCAA. He posted a 51-64-115 line in four seasons with the team, finished the 2021-2022 season as the program's captain, and was one of 77 nominees for the Hobey Baker Award in 2022.
As a Collegiate free agent during the 2022 AHL season, Owen signed a one-year contract with the Blue Jackets AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, on May 25, 2022.
Owen has spent the last two seasons playing with the Monsters, where he has put up a 25-60-85 line in 158 games so far with the club. He also posted a 3-3-6 line during the 2024 postseason with Cleveland during their run to the AHL Eastern Conference Finals. Sillinger spent most of the postseason locked in as Cleveland's second-line center and performed more than admirably in that role during that run.
While he primarily plays center, Cleveland head coach Trent Voglehuber placed Sillinger at all three forward positions last season. He performed well no matter who he was paired with or where he was in the lineup, which suited Voglehuber's tendency to roll his lines just fine.
From my observations watching Monsters Hockey last season, Sillinger brings decent playmaking ability and is a great spark plug for any line needing to build energy and chemistry, especially late in the season.
Despite his slightly undersized 5'10", 183-pound frame, Sillinger plays with a physical edge that was especially noticeable during Cleveland's playoffs. He seemed to establish a rapport with just about every forward on Cleveland's roster last season, and he is my guess to take over at least an Alternate Captaincy with the team moving into the 2024-2025 season.
The Jackets signed Owen to a two-way NHL deal this summer. Still only 26, I do not doubt that Owen has the potential to carve himself out an NHL role down the line if he continues his upward trajectory with Cleveland. Even if he doesn't become an NHL regular, when Sillinger is called up, he will bring skills that will allow him to succeed during any NHL time he gets this upcoming season.
Cole Clayton
Boy, wasn't it fun to watch "Cowboy" Cole Clayton play for the Monsters last season?
One of the great moments late in the season for Cleveland had to be Tony Brown's call of Clayton's fight against Ryan Hofer on Country Night against the Hershey Bears in March. (He also gave me some information for this article, thanks Tony!)
A native of Strathmore, Alberta; Cole spent time on the family farm with his two brothers, Chayse and Cyle, where he felt he learned the rewards of hard work and teamwork. Alberta is known for its rodeo culture, and like many Albertans, Clayton participated in one himself! With all of this combined (plus some alliteration), Cole earned the nickname "Cowboy" in his circles, and it's stuck ever since.
Cole faced some challenges in his early hockey career. In 2016, he was cut from the WHL's Medicine Hat Tigers (the same team from which the Blue Jackets recently drafted Cayden Lindstrom), which derailed his development curve.
While he didn't become a regular with the Tigers until 2017, he immediately became a standout performer when he did. "Cowboy" put up a 17-70-87 line with 125 PIM and was a +30 over 210 games in Medicine Hat; this included an impressive (albeit shortened) 2020-2021 campaign where he slashed 9-21-30 in just 23 games.
Clayton went undrafted during his eligible years for the NHL Entry Drafts and was a free agent following the 2020-2021 WHL campaign. A few weeks after the Tigers' final game, he signed a minor league deal with the Blue Jackets' AHL affiliate: the Cleveland Monsters.
Clayton became an immediate hit with the fans in Cleveland due to his hard work, team-first mentality, and attachment to developing his style around showing his skill in the defensive zone. In three seasons with Cleveland, Clayton has put up an 11-35-46 line in 161 games while also mustering 104 PIM and a -13 during his time on the ice.
Clayton is a hard-nosed defensive defenseman who has size and knows how to use it. He's also shown a bit of an enforcer side to his game (check out his Hockey Fights highlights here), which helps him serve as a spark plug when needed. He is focusing on rounding out the offensive side of his game, but as he is still only 24, he has plenty of time to do so.
I expect Clayton to remain a regular in Cleveland this season, but if the Jackets have a long-term injury problem at Defense, his name will likely be among the first call-ups. I'm intrigued if his size and skillset will mesh with Dean Evason's complimentary system in the NHL, but time will only tell if he gets the opportunity.
