After re-signing Jet Greaves and Cole Sillinger earlier this week, the Blue Jackets are down to one free agent, center Adam Fantilli. Don’t expect a quick resolution on that front, however. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that talks are on a temporary hold while the youngster is on vacation.
Accordingly, discussions will resume next week with Portzline noting that there had been some progress in discussions before this brief pause. The 21-year-old had 24 goals and 35 assists in 81 games last season, setting career highs in assists and points. Columbus is down to just under $14.5MM in cap room, per PuckPedia, which should be enough to lock up Fantilli over the coming days or weeks.
More from the Metropolitan: Flyers prospect KJ Sauer will be making the jump to the NCAA. The forward announced on his Instagram page that he has committed to play at the University of Minnesota- However, the belief is that the commitment is for the 2027-28 campaign, meaning that the 18-year-old will play with WHL Edmonton this coming season as originally intended.
Sauer was a fifth-round pick by Philadelphia last month, playing primarily at the high school level in Minnesota while getting into a handful of USHL contests as well. The Islanders have added some more depth for their new farm team in Hamilton. The Hammers recently announced that they’ve signed defenseman Brandon Scanlin to a one-year deal.
The 27-year-old spent the previous five seasons with the Rangers, playing primarily with their farm team in Hartford. Last season, Scanlin had 11 points in 49 games for the Wolf Pack, bringing his career totals to 57 points in 255 contests at that level. He has one NHL appearance under his belt from back in the 2023-24 season.