Fantilli Contract: Werenski Says ‘It’ll Get Done’

Zach Werenski is not worried about Adam Fantilli’s contract.

The Blue Jackets defenseman met with reporters at Nationwide Arena on Thursday, and the last unsigned name on the Columbus roster came up. Werenski said Fantilli got back to Michigan last week and that the two of them have talked.

“I’m sure he’ll get signed and it’ll get done. I wouldn’t be too worried. I haven’t had in-depth convos with him obviously. I ask him and he wants to be here and he’s putting the work in.”

Take a look at the full session the Blue Jackets posted:

The holdup is money. Elliotte Friedman said on NHL Network that Connor Bedard’s new deal in Chicago moved two negotiations more than any others, Cutter Gauthier’s in Anaheim and Fantilli’s in Columbus.

On that same segment, Friedman put the Blue Jackets’ preference at $12 million to $12.5 million a season. Fantilli’s side is looking at what the two players drafted in front of him got. Bedard signed for five years at $15 million. Leo Carlsson took a five-year, $90 million offer sheet from Philadelphia that Anaheim matched, an $18 million cap hit.

Columbus has a little over $13.4 million in space. There is not much daylight between what the team wants to pay and what it is able to pay.

Fantilli earned the raise. He played all 82 games last season and finished with 24 goals and 59 points as the top-line center, and he is the last major restricted free agent left on the Columbus board after Cole Sillinger and Jet Greaves signed earlier this summer.

The delay has revived an idea Philadelphia already used once this summer. William James of Philly Hockey Now argued this week that the Flyers should circle back to the offer-sheet route and take a run at Fantilli, weeks after they were reported to be finished making swings.

Camps open next month. Werenski’s read is that Fantilli signs before then.