Columbus Blue Jackets restricted free-agent forward Cole Sillinger will stay in Columbus after inking a new three-year contract worth $13.875 million, sidestepping what could have been an arbitration hearing.
The agreement, made public on Saturday, will keep Sillinger under contract through the conclusion of the 2028-29 NHL season.
The signing comes just a day after the Blue Jackets secured another key player, reaching a three-year, $15 million deal with goaltender Jet Greaves — also avoiding arbitration in that case.
Don Waddell, the Blue Jackets’ president of hockey operations and general manager, spoke highly of the newly signed forward. “Cole is a hard-working, reliable two-way forward who plays the game the right way, has outstanding character and continues to grow and improve,” Waddell said.
He added, “He has played a lot of games in this league at a very young age, and we are excited about his future and his contributions to our organization.”
The 23-year-old Sillinger put together a solid 2024-25 campaign, tallying 33 points — including eight goals and 25 assists — along with a plus-2 rating across 81 games. He was wrapping up a two-year, $4.5 million deal heading into this offseason.
Since Columbus selected him 12th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, Sillinger has accumulated 140 career points — 51 goals and 89 assists — over 367 regular season games.
