Rookies Sillinger, Chinakhov on team
It looks like the Blue Jackets' standout rookies did enough to make the NHL roster.
Things could change before the NHL'S 5 p.m. Monday deadline to submit official rosters, but Cole Sillinger, 18, and Yegor Chinakhov, 20, were not included in the team's paring of seven players Sunday.
The cut dropped the Jackets' roster to 24, but that includes forward Trey Fix-wolansky, who has a knee injury and won't count toward the NHL'S maximum of 23 players for the regular season. That means Sillinger and Chinakhov, barring trades or other unforeseen transactions, are on track to start the season in Columbus.
Trimmed Sunday were goalie Daniil Tarasov, defensemen Gavin Bayreuther, Gabriel Carlsson and Mikko Lehtonen plus forwards Justin Danforth, Liam Foudy and Kevin Stenlund. Bayreuther, Danforth, Foudy and Tarasov were assigned to the Cleveland Monsters, while Carlsson, Lehtonen and Stenlund were placed on waivers for the purpose of assignment to Cleveland.
Sillinger and Chinakhov could crack the Jackets' lineup Thursday for the season opener against the Arizona Coyotes at Nationwide Arena. Coach Brad Larsen has said both rookies need to play regularly, no matter where they're assigned.
Chinakhov was selected 21st overall in 2020 and Sillinger was the 12th pick in this year's draft.
“(Sillinger has) a lot of pro habits that, literally, you teach guys for years to try and grasp,” Larsen said. “The right time to change, to want the puck when you're tired, just the understanding of your structure, he already understands. His hockey acumen is really good for his age.”
The same applies to Chinakhov, who helped Avangard Omsk win the Kontinental Hockey League championship last season and was named that league's top rookie.
“He's another guy who thinks it,” Larsen said. “He's a different player than ‘Silli,' how he plays the game, but equally as impressive. I've been impressed with his details and his processing, too. You talk to him and he understands really well. Sometimes it's tougher to communicate what he wants, but he's asked some great questions, and again, he's applying it.”
Each rookie made it tough on the Blue Jackets' coaching staff and front office to determine their best developmental course.
Chinakhov's immediate future had nothing to do with his entry-level contract, which will burn the first of three years this season. Sillinger was a little more complicated because of the options available.
Sillinger's junior rights are with Medicine Hat of the Western Hockey League. Returning him to Medicine Hat would allow the Blue Jackets to delay the start of his three-year entry-level contract, which could be beneficial for the team from a business perspective. They can still make that decision and save the contract year, but must return him to the WHL before he plays nine NHL games.
Sillinger could also be assigned to the Monsters, unlike most players his age from the Canadian major junior ranks. That would also burn his first contract year.
Memorializing Kivlenieks
The Blue Jackets have a number of things planned for this season to honor goalie Matiss Kivlenieks, who was killed July 4 by a fireworks mortar shell while attending a gathering at the offseason home of Blue Jackets goaltending coach Manny Legace.