Blue Jackets' Sillinger working through first growing pains: 'He's not scared of it'

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Blue Jackets' Sillinger working through first growing pains: 'He's not scared of it'

Facing his first stretch of NHL adversity, Blue Jackets center Cole Sillinger had just three assists in his previous 11 games entering this weekend, and he hadn't scored since netting a late winner Nov. 6 against the Avalanche.

Brian Hedger, The Columbus Dispatch · The Columbus Dispatch

Mon, Dec 6, 2021 ·

5 min read

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Cole Sillinger has already had some NHL experiences he'll never forget.

The NHL's youngest player notched his first point in his first game, scored his first goal three games later, and the 18-year old center recorded his first multi-goal and multi-point effort in that same road game, helping the Blue Jackets overcome a deficit to win 5-4 in overtime Nov. 3 against the Colorado Avalanche .

That was also the game that he received a "welcome to the NHL" stick tap to the shin pads from Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon , a family friend, after being "chirped" in a friendly way by New York Islanders veterans Josh Bailey and Matt Martin a couple of weeks earlier.

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"They had a couple good laughs with me," said Sillinger, whose dad, Mike Sillinger, was an Islander veteran when Bailey and Martin were rookies. "They compared me to Zdeno Chara because he's the oldest (in the NHL), and I'm the youngest. They called me 'Silly Jr.,' and we had a couple comments here and there. That was pretty cool."

Less cool is the NHL first Sillinger is experiencing now.

Prior to a game Saturday against the Washington Capitals to wrap up a tough road trip, Sillinger had just three assists in his previous 11 games and hadn't scored since netting a late winner Nov. 6 against the Avalanche at Nationwide Arena.

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This stretch is his first true adversity in the NHL, where he's facing off against a seemingly endless string of experienced centers. It's a process that could go one of two ways, including his confidence being shaken at a critical point in his development, but Sillinger doesn't see it that way.

He's a kid, yes, but thus far there are no signs of a shrinking violet emerging.

"I'm only going to get more comfortable and more familiar with the speed and the strength of the guys, going against strong centermen, and not many 18-year olds get the opportunity to do this," Sillinger said this week. "So, I'm for sure going to try and take advantage of that (and) and in years to come."

Blue Jackets rookie Cole Sillinger has had some memorable encounters with other NHL players this season, including here when he took a swing from Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon.

Growing pains could benefit Sillinger and the Columbus Blue Jackets

A common refrain among those in charge of NHL development programs is to point out the risk of exposing young players to the NHL level at too young of an age. The concern is that repeated failure too soon in a player's career may permanently damage their confidence and stunt their growth.

Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen doesn't see it that way, which is why he has no problem keeping Sillinger in key roles . He sees an opportunity for a player his team may eventually lean heavily upon to take a significant step forward.

"Why does adversity have to be such a damaging thing?" Larsen said. "I don't understand that. And I get the understanding that he's a young man. I get that … but don't be scared of it. And he's not scared of it. He's not a kid who's cowering. If anything, he's trying to find the answer: 'OK, what do I need to do?' So, these moments are not bad things for young players. Of course, we're watching and monitoring, but it's good to struggle. It's good. It's not always going to be perfect."

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The best players are usually those who learn how to overcome rough stretches. That's what makes Sillinger's presence in Columbus this season a lot bigger deal than just knocking out some memorable firsts.

"When you get into playoffs, guess what?" Larsen said. "From game to game, from period to period, it's intense and there's certain struggles that are going on with adversity, so you've got to go through stuff … whether you're 18 or 28. So, our whole team's going to go through it. It's not just one guy."

According to the analytics site Natural Stat Trick, Blue Jackets rookie Cole Sillinger entered the weekend leading the Blue Jackets in 5-on-5 in individual scoring chances (51), individual high-danger chances (21) and individual expected goals (4.07).

Cole Sillinger still tracking as one of Blue Jackets' top forwards

Sillinger's play of late indicates fatigue might be taking root, mental and physical. Each game against more experienced teams and centers, however, is a chance to learn, adapt and grow.

That includes recent losses to the St. Louis Blues last Saturday, Nashville Predators on Tuesday and Dallas Stars Thursday — when Sillinger played just 10:54 and didn't get on the scoresheet. It was a tough trip, but the bigger picture still casts Sillinger as one of the Jackets' most effective forwards.

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According to Natural Stat Trick, an advanced stat site, Sillinger leads the Blue Jackets in 5-on-5 individual scoring chances (51), individual high-danger chances (21) and individual expected goals (4.07). He's third in shots (40), second in rebounds created (five), second in attempts off the rush (three) and tied for second with Alexandre Texier in 5-on-5 goals (four).

In other words, Sillinger is still proving that he belongs.

"There's no excuses to myself," Sillinger said. "I'm here for a reason, and I'm in the same boat as everyone else right now. I don't get any extra (leeway) just because I'm a young guy, and I hope the coaches see it that way, as well."