Cole Sillinger and the WJC

[stevo61]

With Cole still being an 18 year old going through his ups and down as an NHLer im wondering what peoples opinions are if Canada calls up Jarmo about his availability for the tournament?

I personally never think such a high intensity tournament playing for your country against your peers is never a bad thing and a good showing could be a major confidence booster. I know some people believe once you make the NHL those players outgrow that level of competition but he hasnt had a chance to play for his country at that level and could probably have a decent role on the team

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[CBJWerenski8]

Item #4: Snacks
• It’s looking increasingly unlikely that Cole Sillinger will join Team Canada for the World Junior Championship beginning next month in Alberta. Kekalainen has said that Sillinger would only go if he wasn’t playing a substantial role in the NHL, but that’s exactly what he’s carved out for himself with the Blue Jackets. The 18-year-old is playing 14:20 per night as a middle-six center and a member of the second power-play unit. “As much as I love the (world juniors) and think it would be a great experience for him, he’s a big part of our team,” Kekalainen said. We’re told no formal discussions have yet occurred between the Blue Jackets and Team Canada regarding his availability. The IIHF wants all teams to be in place as part of a “bubble” by Dec. 15.

Blue Jackets Sunday Gathering: Early success won't change Jarmo Kekalainen's 'restart' plans

i don’t think he’s going but I would send him

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

i don’t think he’s going but I would send him

Likewise

 

[LoneFunyan]

Whatever happens, I hope it's with Sillinger's input. If he wants to go, I say send him. Feels like he's been struggling a bit lately (no stats to back it up, just feels like I haven't seen his name as much) so it might be a good change of pace for him.

I'm reminded of how Stefan Legein places some of the blame for his legendary flame-out on how the org treated his last shot at the WJCs. Differences abound, of course.

 

[majormajor]

If he wanted to go I'd certainly consider it. But I doubt Cole would want to leave the NHL for the tournament.

I am monitoring his play though - it's up and down game to game. If he fades more consistently then sure why not, send him to the AHL and WJC.

 

[NotCommitted]

WJC could be a good confidence boost for borderline NHLer, but if he's playing up to NHL standards in a good role, no reason to go there.

 

[pled]

he's too important for the team. the management wouldn't want that.

 

[EspenK]

He should go imo. He will have a memory for a lifetime and hopefully would come back re-energized. He will have plenty of time to develop after the WJC and future seasons. Knowing the Jackets though I'd be surprised if they would send him. Again imo I think he and Chinakhov and the Jackets would have been better served if they were sent to Cleveland after 9 games. Although the way Sillinger started it would have been a tough decision.

 

[majormajor]

It seemed pretty clear from yesterday's interviews that the kid doesn't want to go. He is living his dream right here, and seemed amused by all the concern about him.

 

[BluejacketNut]

I think it would be good for him. He started off hot but has cooled as expected. Let him get the experience and confidence if he does well

 

[CBJWerenski8]

It seemed pretty clear from yesterday's interviews that the kid doesn't want to go. He is living his dream right here, and seemed amused by all the concern about him.

That's not the indication I got.

From my perspective it was more of a "I'll do whatever they want. The NHL is cool, but it would also be really cool to experience the World Juniors. All my friends who went through it talk about how amazing of an experience it is, but not many players are in my position at 18 years old playing in the NHL. Whatever they want I will do."

 

[majormajor]

That's not the indication I got.

From my perspective it was more of a "I'll do whatever they want. The NHL is cool, but it would also be really cool to experience the World Juniors. All my friends who went through it talk about how amazing of an experience it is, but not many players are in my position at 18 years old playing in the NHL. Whatever they want I will do."

Here's the literal quote when he was asked about the World Juniors.

"Obviously that is completely up to the staff. It's not really in the back of my mind, I'm here to play hockey, I'm in the NHL right now, and that's the best thing [league?] in the world, and that's where I want to be, that's where my mindset is at."

He didn't say anything yesterday about how cool the World Juniors would be. The World Juniors is a big deal but I think this thing you hear about how kids growing up dreaming of playing in the World Juniors is a little bit fictional. Playing in the NHL is the dream and that is what Cole is literally telling us.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Here's the literal quote when he was asked about the World Juniors.

"Obviously that is completely up to the staff. It's not really in the back of my mind, I'm here to play hockey, I'm in the NHL right now, and that's the best thing [league?] in the world, and that's where I want to be, that's where my mindset is at."

He didn't say anything yesterday about how cool the World Juniors would be. The World Juniors is a big deal but I think this thing you hear about how kids growing up dreaming of playing in the World Juniors is a little bit fictional. Playing in the NHL is the dream and that is what Cole is literally telling us.

Well, here's more quotes that you seemed to have missed then (with article citation).

“Everybody on the world junior team has the goal to play in the NHL, so if I’m playing a prominent role and the Columbus staff sees me as an NHL player and doesn’t loan me, that’s a compliment to me in a way,” Sillinger said. “But obviously it’s a phenomenal tournament that so many grow up watching.
“I’ve had a couple of buddies go through there, and just the experiences they had … it sounds awesome, but the NHL is a great life as well.”

Blue Jackets Sunday Gathering: Jared Boll moves behind the bench, a tale of two Tarasovs and more

 

[majormajor]

Well, here's more quotes that you seemed to have missed then (with article citation).

“Everybody on the world junior team has the goal to play in the NHL, so if I’m playing a prominent role and the Columbus staff sees me as an NHL player and doesn’t loan me, that’s a compliment to me in a way,” Sillinger said. “But obviously it’s a phenomenal tournament that so many grow up watching.
“I’ve had a couple of buddies go through there, and just the experiences they had … it sounds awesome, but the NHL is a great life as well.”

Blue Jackets Sunday Gathering: Jared Boll moves behind the bench, a tale of two Tarasovs and more

Okie doke. I didn't realize you were talking about a different interview.

 

[behemolari]

There is no point, he is already proven NHLer. Teams wont send these players. They dont wanna take unnecessary risk of injury.

 

[LJ7]

I finally wanted Cole and Chinakhov to go to the AHL and for Cole to play in the WJC yesterday.. then Cole played his best game in weeks a few hours later.

I'm fine with him staying in Columbus. I don't think his development is getting stunted and early returns on him with Hofmann and Danforth as a line are absolutely great.

 

[Byrral]

Jarmo is letting Sillinger and Chinakhov get their development wings on the big club. Cole has played himself off the junior team.

 

[EspenK]

Jarmo is letting Sillinger and Chinakhov get their development wings on the big club. Cole has played himself off the junior team.

Hopefully they develop better than Brassard, Brule and others who were rushed into the league. So far so good but Sillinger is slowing down & I'm not sure YC ever got going.

 

[tunnelvision]

Hopefully they develop better than Brassard, Brule and others who were rushed into the league. So far so good but Sillinger is slowing down & I'm not sure YC ever got going.

How was Brassard rushed, what do you mean by rushing?

 

[EspenK]

How was Brassard rushed, what do you mean by rushing?

Maybe time has eroded my memory but I thought he made the team straight out of camp his first year. In researching that, he played for Syracuse where he did well and then brought up to play 17 games with the Jackets with essentially no good results. He had fairly good offensive stats but was a defensive liability until he left. Maybe he wasn't as rushed as I remembered.

I seem to remember that in general the fans consensus was jackets being desperate for success brought their draftees up too soon. Could be wrong. Other long time fans add anything?

 

[tunnelvision]

Maybe time has eroded my memory but I thought he made the team straight out of camp his first year. In researching that, he played for Syracuse where he did well and then brought up to play 17 games with the Jackets with essentially no good results. He had fairly good offensive stats but was a defensive liability until he left. Maybe he wasn't as rushed as I remembered.

I seem to remember that in general the fans consensus was jackets being desperate for success brought their draftees up too soon. Could be wrong. Other long time fans add anything?

The way I remember that period of time (200x-2008) was that Jackets were desperately looking for a 1C, a playmaker for Nash. Fedorov wasn't up to task for whatever reason so Manny was the best option they had in hand.... which is like putting Jenner between Laine and Voracek with this season's team. In 80-09 Nash-Brassard-Voracek was arguably their #1 line until Brassard's shoulder injury occured in a fight that ended his season. So there was an internal pressure from the organisation to have him on the team for that season to play center position on a key role, but imo it never seemed like he was playing in the wrong league at any point during those 31 games (?) prior to his injury. Two years of playing in juniors and AHL after the draft was enough for getting him ripe to play in NHL, at least skill-wise. Of course one could argue that he wasn't physically mature yet, and another year of playing elsewhere could have prevented his dislocated shoulder incident.

 

[JacketsDavid]

There was a long line of Jackets back in the day who played their best hockey early on (Fritsche, Brule, Brassard, Zherdev to some extent) and then never progressed or in some cases regressed. Whether that was ack of development, lack of confidence, maybe more than anything the suck-out-loud culture at the time.
So I hope we are better than that (on all fronts) but does worry me that Sillinger may be the best Center we have on our roster and on most NHL teams he would be a 3rd line guy developing (if not in the AHL).

 

[majormajor]

Maybe time has eroded my memory but I thought he made the team straight out of camp his first year. In researching that, he played for Syracuse where he did well and then brought up to play 17 games with the Jackets with essentially no good results. He had fairly good offensive stats but was a defensive liability until he left. Maybe he wasn't as rushed as I remembered.

I seem to remember that in general the fans consensus was jackets being desperate for success brought their draftees up too soon. Could be wrong. Other long time fans add anything?

Other than the obvious case of Klesla, who was certainly rushed, it was never clear to me whether a guy struggled because he was rushed or he struggled because he wasn't as good of a prospect as people hoped. It did become part of the fans consensus after a while though. I could be forgetting about a player or two, it was just as long ago for me.

 

[Columbus Jack]

Cole is extremely important to this team's success in finishing 22nd in the league. We need him.

 

[ColumbusTrill]

How does playing against significantly worse competition for a week and a half help his development?