Sillinger NHL Watch

Games Played:9

Edit:

Sillinger is dressed tonight. If he remains dressed for next game he is for sure 99.9% not coming back.  (Their is another 40 game mark but that is about free agent contract status) We will probably see some sort of official announcement soon.

He has been bumped up to Line #2 tonight for Columbus. He's been on Line 3 through his first 8 games. He ended up on the top line by the end of the game and put up 2 goals and 1 assist for a 3 point night.

Important MileStone

Sillinger is Eligible to play in 1 more game before his NHL Contract kicks in. I used to think it was 10, but it is indeed 9

At that point Columbus will decide to either keep him, send him to the AHL (Cleveland Monsters) or send him to the WHL. (Cleveland is also where former Tiger Cole clayton is playing.)

If they send him down to the AHL, it means Columbus cannot recall him to the NHL without burning a year off his contract. If they do recall him it burns a year off his ELC contract.

If he is sent down to the Tigers. He cannot be recalled.

I feel their is no way Columbus wants to send him back to Junior. It's possible and I'm hoping for it, but I feel that option is extremely small

I still wonder about the legality of his AHL eligibility, but all the Newspapers and Columbus feel this is still valid.  

Columbus plays wednesday and Saturday next week. So if Sillinger plays on Saturday it means he is staying in the NHL for now.

 If they are struggling with their decision it is possible they healthy scratch him for a game because that would then delay their decision until November 12th instead of November 6th.

October 21st

2 shots ,10:29 icetime.

October 29th

4 SOG, -1, 12:44 icetime

October 25th

4 PM, 4 SOG, 13:41 Icetime || 1:58 PP Time.

The 4PM due to a double minor where he dropped the gloves and got into a fight that wasn't penalized as a fight.

Cole Sillinger pummels Joe Pavelski (37 years old) who then draws attention from Denis Gurianov (24 years old)… who he also takes care of.

This kid is EIGHTEEN. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/6yoEWda7Hl

— CBJ Coverage (@CBJcoverage) October 26, 2021

October 23rd

1 SOG || 15:52 IceTime

Oct 21st

🚨 COLE SILLINGER 🚨

First NHL goals are just the best. pic.twitter.com/7uhPKyMWVR

— NHL (@NHL) October 22, 2021

17:17 Icetime, 1 Goal, +1, 6 shots, including 1 shift of 3v3 OT 

Oct 19th

9:46 of icetime, 2 Penalty Minutes

*Cole was benched in the 3rd period for taking 3 minor penalties in his first 3 games.

Oct 16th

13:54 of icetime, 2 penalty minutes, 2 shots

Oct 14th

13:37 of icetime. 1 assist, +1, 3 shots, 2 penalty minutes

Thoughts

He is seeing 3rd line minutes and 2nd line pp minutes. He is not seeing any PK time. 
Columbus suffered an injury with Max Domi and called up a young russian player. The russian and cole has beat out a few other vets for roster spots.

Sillinger now has 2 points in 4 games with a plus 2 rating. He was benched in his 3rd game and came back with a vengeance the following game.  Coaches love that. 

I watched the game tonight and he looks like an NHL player. He kept his game simple, and when he had puck possession he always seemed to make the right play. He is doing what someone on the 3rd line needs to do.  One knock is that his faceoff percentage is under 40%

Getting .5 ppg from your 3rd line is very good production. It's only 4 games in but he doesn't look out of place. It seems like a very good fit for him. Columbus is also 3-1 to start the season when many expect them to be near the bottom once the season ends.

WHL Eligibility

I don't like judging players after a really good game, or a really bad game. You can't expect that to continue and emotions cloud clear thinking. Sillinger faced a little adversity with being benched and played a strong game thereafter.

I also think the situation changes if the jackets were 1-3 instead of 3-1. Your not going to send down a player contributing when your team is winning.  We will see if that changes over the next 6 games, but after 10 games if the jackets have a .500 record or better, I think they will keep him especially since his AHL eligibility seems to be a truth. (Although I feel that could be challenged)

My expectations of him coming back have dropped to 5-95 not coming back.