Cole Sillinger Avoids Arbitration With Three-Year Blue Jackets Deal

What happened: Cole Sillinger has agreed to a three-year, $13.8 million contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets, according to Yahoo Sports. The agreement keeps the case out of arbitration and settles one of Columbus' offseason roster-management questions before it could become a hearing-room process.

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The confirmed terms are straightforward: three years, $13.8 million total. The source also notes that Sillinger was a regular on the Blue Jackets' third line last season while shifting from center to left wing. He finished with 33 points, matching his career best, with eight goals and 25 assists.

Why it matters: Arbitration avoidance is rarely just paperwork. For Columbus, this removes a potential friction point with a young forward who has already been asked to adjust his position and role. A hearing can force team and player into blunt arguments about value; a negotiated deal lets both sides move into the season with the relationship intact and the cap number settled.

Roster impact: The most important hockey detail is the positional shift. Sillinger had been known as a center, but the source describes him as a fixture on the third line after switching to left wing. That matters because it changes how Columbus can build its forward groups. If he remains effective on the wing, the Blue Jackets have more flexibility down the middle and a clearer checking-line or secondary-scoring option.

Tournament impact: In an NHL season context, this is not a playoff result, but it is the kind of move that shapes the tournament path months before the postseason. Columbus now knows the cost and likely placement of a regular forward. A 33-point third-line player is not usually the headline piece of a playoff push, but reliable middle-six production can decide whether a team has enough depth to survive injuries, schedule congestion, and late-season pressure.

What to watch: The next question is whether Sillinger's 25 assists signal a more settled playmaking role on the wing, or whether Columbus still sees him as a player who can move back to center when needed. The contract gives the team three seasons to find out without the immediate uncertainty of another negotiation.

Confidence: Confirmed by the source are the contract length, total value, arbitration avoidance, last season's wing role, third-line usage, and 33-point stat line. Still requiring follow-up are the average annual cap structure details, any signing bonuses or trade protection, and how Columbus plans to deploy him when the season opens.