- Adam Fantilli is the Blue Jackets’ last unsigned restricted free agent this summer
- Aaron Portzline says talks are on a short hold with Fantilli vacationing in Italy
- Read below for where the negotiation stands and how much cap room Columbus has
Adam Fantilli is the last piece of business left in Columbus.
The 21-year-old center is the only Blue Jackets player still unsigned, and his contract talks are on pause. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reported this week that Fantilli is vacationing in Italy, with the two sides taking a short break before they reconnect early next week.
Here is how Portzline framed it:
There has been progress, per Portzline, so this reads more like a scheduling gap than a standoff. Fantilli is a restricted free agent, which limits his leverage, and Columbus has already said it would match any offer sheet thrown his way.
Columbus knocked out the rest of its to-do list this week. The Blue Jackets re-signed goaltender Jet Greaves to a three-year deal and locked up Cole Sillinger on a three-year, $4.625 million contract to avoid arbitration.
Sillinger got his deal done first:
That leaves Fantilli as the final domino. The Blue Jackets have around $14.5 million in cap space, per PuckPedia, which is plenty to fit a new deal for their young No. 1 center whenever talks start back up.
Fantilli is coming off the best season of his career. He put up 24 goals and 35 assists for 59 points in 81 games, setting personal highs in assists and points. The 2023 third overall pick has turned into the type of player a rebuild gets built around.
Expect the sides to pick things back up once Fantilli is home from Italy.
