The Blue Jackets are running out of runway with Adam Fantilli.
Training camp is about to open in Columbus, with main camp set for Wednesday and physicals and media availability on tap before the on-ice work begins Thursday. That leaves a very small window to get Fantilli signed and in town before the real work starts.
And at this point, the clock feels loud.
A deal needs to be in place within the next 48 hours if the team wants its projected No. 1 center on the ice when camp gets rolling. Don Waddell has been adamant that a contract will get done, but the longer this drags on, the more uneasy it gets for everyone watching.
The shortened preseason only adds to that pressure. With camp beginning in earnest on 9/17, the Jackets have just two weeks to get ready for their first regular season game. Missing even part of that time is never ideal, especially for a player expected to carry so much of the offense.
The source of the worry is not just the calendar. It’s also the risk that Fantilli loses ground if he’s not there learning the systems, getting comfortable with his linemates and building toward the season from day one. The Blue Jackets want him in Columbus for all of it, because this year is supposed to be about taking a bigger step.
That matters beyond Fantilli himself, too. The organization is trying to convince its star defenseman - and possibly its star first line winger - to remain beyond their current contracts. Having the centerpiece of the roster miss camp would only add more noise to an already noisy summer.
The financial gap is real, but it’s not massive enough to feel impossible. The latest rumor had the Blue Jackets around $12.5 million, while Fantilli’s camp was closer to $15 million. There’s sticker shock in there, sure, but this is also what a player like this is going to cost.
Aaron Portzline’s report from yesterday made the situation feel even more urgent: the two sides reportedly aren’t making any progress. Someone has to give, and maybe both sides do. A landing spot around 5 years and $13.5 million would split the difference and get everyone moving again.
There is at least one recent example of Waddell taking things right down to the wire. Jet Greaves was heading into his arbitration hearing in July before his deal finally came together.
Maybe this ends the same way. Maybe the start of preseason becomes the hard line that forces a breakthrough.
Either way, the next couple of days are huge for the Blue Jackets and their fan base. This could settle down quickly, or it could turn the volume up even higher.
In Other News...
Adam Fantilli Contract Talks Are Still Hanging Over Blue Jackets Camp
Chris Kreiders next stop is Montreal after his contract with the Ducks was terminated, and Mark Stone is locked in with Vegas on a new two-year extension, but in Columbus the focus remains much closer to home. Adam Fantilli and the Blue Jackets are still working through a contract agreement, and the talks have become one of the quiet but significant storylines hanging over the start of camp.
The hope around the organization is that something gets done before players report, keeping the spotlight where the Blue Jackets want it as training camp approaches. For now, Fantilli remains in the middle of negotiations, and the situation is still open enough to leave a familiar late-summer tension around a young core piece the club would prefer to have settled soon. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Still Have A Blue Line Need Worth Watching
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For a team still trying to firm up the back end before facing Detroit, the timing matters. Soucy is not in the fold on a guaranteed deal, which keeps the opportunity open but also makes the coming preseason games especially relevant as Columbus evaluates where the last roster spots should go. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Have Real Reasons To Believe This Season Could Be Different
There are real reasons to think this Blue Jackets season can look different from the last one, and it starts with a healthier sense of stability around the core. Zach Werenski is back in the spotlight after a Norris Trophy season, Kent Johnson and Dmitri Voronkov are both positioned to rebound from uneven years, and the team should get an early chance to build momentum with a home-heavy opening stretch.
The biggest change may be in net, where Jet Greaves is expected to take on a major role and give Columbus a clearer picture of its goaltending situation. Add in Rick Bowness returning for a full season behind the bench, and the Blue Jackets suddenly have a structure they did not always have a year ago, even if the early weeks will go a long way toward showing how much of that promise translates once the schedule settles in. [Read more 🡒]