Cole Sillinger

After Columbus took Sillinger with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, he quickly worked his way into the Blue Jackets’ lineup, recording 16 goals and 31 points in 79 regular-season games in 2021-22. While those are respectable numbers for a rookie in his age-18 campaign, the problem is that he’s failed to grow beyond that level. With five campaigns now under his belt, those 16 goals are still his career high, and his 33 points in 81 outings last year represent the fourth time in five years that he’s finished a season with 31-33 points -- the lone exception was an underwhelming 11 points in 64 outings during the 2022-23 regular season. He’s 23 years old, so he’s still young enough that it’s reasonable to believe he will reach another level, but it’s risky to assume his breakout is around the corner. Pencil him in for another 30-35 point campaign, but take him well ahead of other forwards in that range due to his upside. Read Past Outlooks