The Columbus Blue Jackets have plenty going on this offseason, but the biggest storyline might be the one that doesn’t involve a trade rumor or a roster shuffle. It’s Adam Fantilli. His next contract, his next leap, and whether he can become the kind of forward who actually changes the Blue Jackets’ ceiling - that’s where the real pressure sits.
Fantilli is only 21, but he’s already got three seasons in the books, and the trajectory has been easy to track. As a 20-year-old, he went from 12 goals to 31 and doubled his point total from 27 to 54.
That looked like the beginning of something bigger. Then came his third season, when the growth slowed: 24 goals, 35 assists, and 59 points, all career highs except for the goal total.
The underlying numbers were better, and they pointed to a strong two-way center, but the star-level breakout people expected when he went third overall in the 2023 NHL Draft still hasn’t fully arrived.
That’s why the Blue Jackets need more now. If they’re going to push toward a playoff spot, Fantilli has to become a true offensive engine, not just a promising young center with upside. Getting back to 30 goals and reaching 70 points or more would be a meaningful step, both for him and for Columbus.
The contract situation only adds to the tension. Fantilli remains unsigned as a restricted free agent, and in a summer shaped by offer sheets, that’s not the kind of standoff Blue Jackets fans want to see drag on.
With Leo Carlsson and Connor Bedard already landing major deals, keeping Fantilli is going to cost real money. The market for top-end forwards is thin, and that scarcity is exactly why the Philadelphia Flyers made such a huge offer for Carlsson.
It’s also why Columbus should want this wrapped up sooner rather than later.
There’s a bigger risk here than just paying more. If the Blue Jackets get pushed into a messy situation like the one surrounding Carlsson, it would be a bad look.
They already have enough to think about when it comes to keeping core pieces such as Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko. Letting Fantilli’s deal become another headache would only make that problem worse.
And that’s really the heart of it: Columbus needs this investment to hit. Fantilli can’t just settle in as a solid No. 1 center.
He has to become the player they believed they were getting. Werenski is the face of the franchise right now, but Fantilli has the kind of skill set that can make fans pay attention.
High-end, high-scoring forwards draw the spotlight, and he has the tools to become that kind of player in Columbus.
That’s also what a real playoff push usually demands. Aside from the Carolina Hurricanes, the NHL’s contenders tend to have at least one superstar forward. The Blue Jackets need Fantilli to grow into that role for them, both immediately and for the long run.
Columbus has a young core and enough promise to believe a playoff team is possible. But belief only goes so far.
It has to come with internal growth, and Fantilli is the biggest piece of that equation. If he takes the next step and moves into the upper tier of young centers, it would give the Blue Jackets something they’ve been missing for a long time: a true elite forward, the kind they haven’t had since the days of Rick Nash.
In Other News...
Blue Jackets Just Made Their Decision On Cole Sillinger
Cole Sillingers next chapter in Columbus is settled, giving the Blue Jackets another piece of their forward group locked in for the long haul. The restricted free agent has agreed to a three-year contract after spending his entire NHL career with the club since being taken 12th overall in 2021, a move that keeps one of the organizations younger regulars in place as the roster continues to take shape.
For Columbus, the decision also clarifies where Sillinger fits in the lineup. He is expected to remain in a third-line role, giving the Blue Jackets a dependable middle-six option they can continue to develop without having to revisit his status again anytime soon. The deal carries him through the 2028-29 season, so the next question is less about whether he stays and more about how much his game can grow in the role the team has mapped out for him. [Read more 🡒]
Don Waddell Just Changed The Blue Jackets' Biggest Contract Question
The Blue Jackets have quietly taken a big chunk of business off the board by locking up Jet Greaves and Cole Sillinger on separate three-year deals, and the timing matters as much as the contracts themselves. For a team trying to keep its books clean, Don Waddell has managed to avoid the kind of rushed, cap-clogging move that can haunt a roster later, and these two signings give Columbus a much clearer path as it starts sorting out its next wave of core players.
Adam Fantilli is the name that now hangs over the rest of the summer, and the structure of these deals suggests the Blue Jackets are preserving room for a major extension without boxing themselves in. Greaves contract took some late work to get across the finish line, which only adds to the sense that Columbus was willing to be patient rather than force the issue, and that approach could end up defining how the front office handles its most important negotiation next. [Read more 🡒]
The Cam Atkinson Trade Still Hits Blue Jackets Fans Hard
The Cam Atkinson trade still lands with a thud in Columbus, even years later, because it marked the end of one of the most recognizable stretches of the franchises modern era. On July 24, 2021, Atkinson was dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers for Jake Vorek, a move that sent a longtime Blue Jackets face out the door and brought back a player with his own well-established track record.
Voreks stay in Columbus ended up being brief, and the aftershocks of the deal never really faded for fans who had spent years associating Atkinson with the teams identity. Atkinson eventually came back to close the loop in October 2025, signing a one-day contract so he could retire as a Blue Jacket, a final touch that only underscored how much that trade had altered the emotional shape of the roster and the fan base. [Read more 🡒]