09/16/26: Waddell commented on Fantilli’s situation to the media today, saying he is “still confident that we’ll find a resolution in the near future.” As relayed by Portzline, Waddell noted the team does not have concrete plans for their next conversation with Fantilli’s agent, Pat Brisson. Waddell did add, though, that the team intends to send a proposal to Fantilli’s camp “in the next 24 hours.”
For as long as Fantilli remains without a contract, the Blue Jackets will be forced to alter their plans related to how they’re preparing for the season. Fantilli is set to be the team’s No. 1 center.
In his absence, Fantilli’s spot on the top line, at least in pre-season preparations, will almost certainly be filled by either Sean Monahan or Charlie Coyle.
09/15/26: With training camp set to begin tomorrow, pressure is piling on the Blue Jackets to get a deal done with Fantilli, their ascendant No. 1 center.
Portzline wrote this morning that given the fact that “nobody wants” Fantilli to miss the start of training camp, the team will be “hard at work” with Fantilli’s agent Pat Brisson to reach an agreement on a contract extension.
But there are still seemingly some obstacles in the way of an agreement that need to be cleared. Yesterday, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic cited a source that characterized contract talks between Fantilli and Columbus as “very slow.” LeBrun noted that while both sides have exchanged offers and counter-offers, “they’re just not there yet.”
It’s unclear at this time what the main points of contention are in the negotiation that have kept Fantilli unsigned, but what is clear is that both sides have every incentive to bridge whatever gaps exist in order to get a deal done before training camp begins tomorrow.
09/13/26: A few weeks ago, Columbus Blue Jackets General Manager Don Waddell expressed optimism that the team would sign restricted free agent center Adam Fantilli to an extension before training camp. Unfortunately, in the remaining hours of the final weekend before training camp begins, no contact has materialized.
Furthermore, it appears much will have to change before camp starts on Wednesday to get Fantilli to sign on the dotted line. According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, there has been little, if any, progress between the Blue Jackets and Fantilli.
It’s a mystery what disagreement remains between Columbus and arguably the team’s top center. The leading theory is that Fantilli and his representation are seeking a deal similar to the contracts signed by the two players drafted ahead of him in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Earlier this summer, due to an offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers, Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson signed a five-year, $90MM ($18MM AAV) extension in Orange County. In the Midwest, Connor Bedard signed a five-year, $75MM ($15MM AAV) extension with the Chicago Blackhawks.
So far, Carlsson has been an identical comparison to Fantilli. Carlsson has scored 61 goals and 141 points in his first 201 professional games, while Fantilli has netted 67 goals and 140 points in his first 213 contests.
Still, Carlsson’s path to an extension required an extra hurdle, while Bedard signed an extension directly with Chicago.
From the Blue Jackets’ perspective, they can’t reach that level with Fantilli. According to PuckPedia, Columbus has approximately $12.65MM in cap space.
The Blue Jackets can still make Fantilli one of the league’s highest-paid players, but they would be operating far closer to the salary cap’s Upper Limit than they typically do.
Regardless, with other important extensions on the horizon for Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko, the Blue Jackets can’t afford to be without one of their best offensive talents for much longer. As training camp begins next week, one of the sides will have to bend for a contract to be finalized.