With two first round draft picks, Steve Yzerman has the chance to take a bit of a risk this year – could Cole Sillinger’s shot and offensive toolkit be enough to get Yzerman to take a swing?
Lethal Goal Scorer
When the WHL’s 2020-21 season was still in question, Sillinger was loaned out to the Sioux Falls Stampede in the USHL. Sillinger lit up the league, illustrating his high offensive ability by scoring 24 goals and 22 assists in just 31 games.
Sillinger used his fantastic shot and offensive motor to rack up points in the USHL. In fact, Sillinger is neck-in-neck with Chaz Lucius for the best shot in the draft. He’s a sniper and a danger from any spot in the offensive zone. Sillinger’s release is one of the quickest in the draft, whether it’s a wrister or a slapshot. He’s just one of those players that can find holes in a goaltender’s defense.
It’s not just the shot that’s dangerous. Sillinger’s overall offensive toolkit makes him a danger whenever he has the puck on his stick. Although he’s not especially effective passing the pack, Sillinger can create new lanes and high-danger situations with his puck/stick handling and high offensive IQ. If his skating was better (Currently, it’s just pretty average), he might have the strongest offensive skillset in the entire draft.
Although elements of his offensive game are nearly elite, Sillinger’s defense is a cause for concern. He lapses defensively quite often for such a high-end player; he’ll get too risky (Overcommit to a player/puck and get burned by it) or he’ll straight-up miss an assignment. Sillinger needs a boatload of improvement in the defensive end to become an NHL regular, especially if he wants to continue playing as a center.
Is He an Yzerman Player?
Sillinger’s raw talent is not in question. But is he a fit for the organization?
Well, the glaring issue with Sillinger is his two-way ability – something that Yzerman and the organization highly value in a player. He doesn’t fit that mold as a two-way, distributing winger/center that can help drive the overall offense. Instead, he’s almost a selfish offensive player at times (Not necessarily a bad thing for a player as talented as Sillinger) and is not proficient whatsoever in the defensive zone.
However, the lack of compatibility might be the reason for interest in Sillinger. Yzerman has already drafted and developed a handful of talented two-way players. It might be time to start taking swings on players that can take on the offensive load by themselves, especially if they have experience as a center.
Sillinger plays a similar game to an Anthony Mantha or Jakub Vrana; he’ll try to a lot by himself, and he’ll succeed a surprising amount of the time because of his talent level. Although he’s a reach at six, 22 could be the perfect spot to take a boom-or-bust player in the draft. The offensive upside might be too much for Steve Yzerman to ignore.