Adam Fantilli is back in the Blue Jackets’ plans after missing the opening days of camp, agreeing Thursday to a six-year contract worth $82.5 million. The deal carries a $13.75 million cap hit and keeps Columbus’ 21-year-old center under contract through the 2031-32 season.
Fantilli entered camp as a restricted free agent and had not been skating with the club while negotiations continued. His signature removes a major question from a Columbus roster looking to turn last season’s progress into a playoff push.
The No. 3 selection in the 2023 NHL Draft set career highs with 24 goals, 35 assists and 59 points across all 82 games last season. Through 213 regular-season appearances, Fantilli has produced 67 goals and 73 assists for 140 points.
After the horn
Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell called Fantilli a cornerstone of the club’s direction, pointing to the center’s combination of skating, frame, skill and competitiveness.
“He has all the ingredients you want in a player,” Waddell said. “He is among the league’s most thrilling young players and an important piece of what we are building in Columbus. It is a great day for the organization and the fans.”
The contract talks shifted as the market moved around Columbus. Philadelphia’s offer sheet to Anaheim center Leo Carlsson was followed by Carlsson’s five-year, $90 million agreement with the Ducks, carrying an $18 million annual value.
Waddell said Sept. 16 that the Carlsson situation had changed the financial landscape for young centers. Columbus had raised its position substantially from its early-summer discussions, though term remained a central issue in negotiations involving emerging players.
Coach Rick Bowness had expressed confidence that Fantilli would be ready despite the camp absence. This year’s shortened training schedule leaves less time to ramp up, with teams playing four preseason games rather than as many as eight in prior years. Veterans with 100 or more NHL games are permitted to play no more than two exhibition contests.
Bowness said Fantilli had called him and made clear that he wanted to be in Columbus. The coach said the center had trained hard throughout the summer and was prepared to take on a larger role after asking for more responsibility in his year-end meeting.
“His heart is in the right place,” Bowness said. “He loves being here and he loves being a Blue Jacket. When he gets here, mentally and physically, he’ll be ready.”
Columbus finished 40-30-12 last season, placing fifth in the Metropolitan Division with 92 points. It was the franchise’s strongest point total since 2018-19, when it posted 98, but the Blue Jackets still missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a sixth consecutive season.
Next puck drop
The Blue Jackets open the regular season at home against the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 1.
