The Columbus Blue Jackets and Adam Fantilli are still trying to finish off a deal, but there does appear to be some progress.
That was the read from Elliotte Friedman on Sportsnet’s 32 Thoughts: The Podcast - Protection, Expansion & Change episode, where he said Fantilli’s contract situation has moved a bit even though nothing is complete as training camp rolls on.
“As far as I know, I think there has been some movement, but obviously it’s not done. You know, I was after our last pod, I had some interesting conversations after our last pod.
You know, it’s funny. You talk about things, or we talk about things on the pod, and it kicks conversations loose, and you hear some things.
And you know, I had a couple people say to me that just the number in the Gauthier deal. Look, we talked about the great structure of the Gauthier deal.
The number came in lower than I think many of us expected, 13 and a half. But you’re willing to take a little less if you get written a check for $18.6 million on a day, right?
So you sacrifice structure for the number.
Are the Columbus Blue Jackets creating more problems?
But you know a couple teams said to me, the overall number didn’t, probably help Columbus more than it helped Fantilli. Like Columbus can go and say, and you know my argument on this, Kyle. My argument is a good agent and a good negotiator will say, “Well, that’s their situation, not our situation.
But I think overall, people would say Columbus would look at Fantilli and say, ‘Hey, if Gauthier is 13.5, that should be above Fantilli.’ And we’ll see where it all goes.
Like, there’s no question that Fantilli’s camp is probably using all the pressure that Columbus is feeling as a way to get the best deal they can. So it’s poker, as we talk about this a lot. It’s poker.
Now, I think that, like I said, I think there’s been some movement, but obviously they’re not there.”
Friedman pointed to the number in the Gauthier deal as part of the backdrop here, saying the lower-than-expected $13.5 million figure could shape how Columbus approaches Fantilli’s negotiations. He also noted that while the Blue Jackets can try to lean on that deal in their own discussions, Fantilli’s side can push back by treating it as a separate situation.
For now, though, the key point is simple: there’s movement, but the contract is not finished.
In Other News...
Blue Jackets Roster Battle Starts Getting Real In First Preseason Look
The Blue Jackets are finally moving from camp skates to something closer to a real evaluation, with their first preseason game against the Red Wings set to give the staff a useful early look at a roster still taking shape. With only a limited number of exhibition games on the calendar and some restrictions on who can play, these openers carry a little more weight than usual, especially for a club trying to separate established pieces from the prospects pushing to matter.
That makes the first game a useful snapshot of a defense battle that has been building since camp began, while also creating room for younger players to show they belong in the conversation. Mathieu Olivier, Conor Garland, Denton Mateychuk, Ivan Provorov and Dante Fabbro are all expected to get in, so the Jackets should have enough regulars on the ice to make the matchup meaningful without losing sight of the bigger question: which players keep giving the coaching staff reasons to keep them around when the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Camp Suddenly Has Two Contract Problems Fans Can't Ignore
Adam Fantillis contract situation has quietly become one of the first major storylines of Blue Jackets camp, and the pause has been long enough to get attention around the room. The young center remains unsigned and has now missed four straight days of training camp, leaving Columbus without one of its most important pieces as the club tries to build momentum heading into the season.
Kirill Marchenko adds another layer to the picture, because any conversation about moving him runs straight into the cost of keeping him. His next deal is expected to come in at a premium, which complicates both trade chatter and long-term planning for a team that cant afford many loose ends. For a Blue Jackets group trying to settle its roster and identity early, the contract questions are starting to pile up in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Offseason Plan Hinges On Two Crucial Contract Decisions
The Blue Jackets summer has turned into a waiting game, with front office plans being shaped less by outside trade chatter than by two key contract tracks. Columbus is working through a long-term extension for center Cole Fantilli, and the talks matter because of what they mean for the roster around him. Until that deal gets sorted out, the club is holding off on some of its other decisions while trying to keep its salary picture flexible.
Kirill Marchenko adds another layer to the puzzle. The winger is entering the final year of his contract, and his next deal could force Columbus to confront how much room it really has to maneuver under the cap. With both negotiations hanging over the offseason, the Blue Jackets trade posture and broader team-building plans may stay in limbo a little longer than they would like. [Read more 🡒]