Adam Fantilli wasted no time making his mark in the Blue Jackets’ season opener against Buffalo, and it went well beyond the goal that showed up on the scoreboard.
Yes, he got on the board, and that alone is enough to ease some early-season tension after a long, drawn-out contract negotiation over the summer. But the bigger takeaway from this one was how complete his game looked from start to finish. Fantilli did a little bit of everything, and he did it well.
The goal itself won’t live on highlight reels, but it was the kind of play that wins coaches over. Fantilli moved the puck to his big, strong winger in Matthew Knies, then slid into the shooting lane to block the goalie’s view before letting the shot by Werenski glance off of him and into the net. It was a smart, subtle sequence, and it gave Columbus its third goal.
That sequence started with a faceoff win, which fit the tone of his night. Fantilli was sharp at the dot, finishing 16/20 for an 80% clip. He won all 11 of his draws in the first two periods, giving the Blue Jackets steady possession and a strong foundation in the game’s early stages.
He also brought plenty of edge. Fantilli was active on the forecheck and wasn’t shy about mixing it up physically, finishing with six hits. That side of his game has shown up at times over the last two seasons, but making it a clear priority right away is a strong early sign.
The numbers backed up what the eye test showed. Fantilli led the Blue Jackets in Corsi, meaning Columbus had the highest share of shot attempts while he was on the ice, and MoneyPuck credited him with not allowing Buffalo to generate any high-danger chances during his shifts.
There’s going to be more pressure on Fantilli this season because of that contract, and that comes with the territory. But in the opener, he looked like a player ready to handle it, while also showing why the Blue Jackets believe he can grow into their franchise 1C.
In Other News...
Sabres Leave Columbus With Two Big Problems Already Showing
The Sabres opening-night trip to Columbus already handed them plenty to sort through, and not just because the scoreboard tilted the wrong way in a 6-3 loss. Buffalo showed some fight after the puck dropped on the 2026-27 season, but the Blue Jackets were able to keep pressing the pace and make the visitors chase the game almost immediately.
One of the few bright spots came from Owen Power, who was active in all three zones and helped drive Buffalos offense, but the bigger concern was in net, where the team did not get the kind of early stability it needed. With a tough schedule coming up, the Sabres are already facing an opening-week test of whether they can clean up the issues that showed up right away in Columbus. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets May Already Be Moving On From Jake Christiansen
Jake Christiansens night against Buffalo hinted at where he stands in the Blue Jackets defensive picture. Even with Columbus short-handed on the back end, he started with regular shifts and then saw his ice time dry up, a sign the staff was not leaning on him the way it had earlier in the game.
His usage also spoke volumes compared with the rest of the blue line, with Carson Soucy and Emil Andrae getting the larger share of the work as the night went on. The on-ice issues have been there too, from positioning to overall defensive reads, and if healthier options keep coming back, Christiansen may be fighting more than just the game in front of him. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Just Showed How High The Price Is For Marchenko
Gary Bettmans concerns about no-trade clauses expanding beyond their original intent landed in the middle of a landscape where front offices are already spending plenty of time trying to thread impossible needles. For Columbus, the most revealing part of the conversation around Yegor Marchenko was not simply that another team had interest, but that the Blue Jackets were firm enough in their asking price to keep moving the goalposts on a deal even when the player himself was open to the destination.
Montreals inability to finish the trade underscores how much leverage Columbus had in the negotiations, and how expensive a scorer like Marchenko can be when a team is not looking to sell low. The broader NHL trade market only adds to the sense that the Blue Jackets are sitting on a valuable asset, with clubs everywhere trying to balance urgency, contract realities and limited pieces to offer in return. [Read more 🡒]