- Aaron Portzline reports little to no recent movement in Adam Fantilli’s contract talks with Columbus
- Blue Jackets players report for training camp Wednesday, with on-ice practices starting Thursday
- Read below for the $18 million number Fantilli’s side is measuring against
Adam Fantilli still does not have a contract, and Blue Jackets camp opens Wednesday.
Aaron Portzline of The Athletic said Saturday there has not been much progress between Columbus and its top center lately, if there has been any at all. He also laid out the calendar the two sides are working against.
Players report Wednesday. The first on-ice sessions follow Thursday, and an unsigned restricted free agent cannot take part in either one.
Don Waddell sounded far more relaxed about all of this two weeks ago. The Columbus general manager called the gap a normal difference of opinion in late August and said he expected the deal to be finished before camp.
The holdup traces straight back to the 2023 draft. Connor Bedard went first and signed a five-year, $75 million extension with Chicago. Leo Carlsson went second and ended up at $18 million a season after the Flyers fired in an offer sheet and Anaheim matched it, giving him the largest cap hit in league history.
Fantilli went third. His numbers have not been the problem.
| 2023 Top 3 | Cap Hit | First NHL Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Connor Bedard (Blackhawks) | $15M x 5 | Signed directly with Chicago |
| Leo Carlsson (Ducks) | $18M x 5 | 61 goals, 141 points in 201 games |
| Adam Fantilli (Blue Jackets) | Unsigned | 67 goals, 140 points in 213 games |
Elliotte Friedman was asked on NHL Tonight where the Blue Jackets and Fantilli actually stood on money. His read was that Columbus has not come up to the Carlsson number, and that the two sides are not in a crisis either:
Columbus is carrying roughly $12.65 million in cap space. Paying Fantilli anywhere near the top of that market would push the Blue Jackets closer to the ceiling than they have ever chosen to operate, and Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko are both lined up behind him for new deals.
Somebody has to bend in the next three days, or the Blue Jackets run their first practice of the year without their No. 1 center.
