Friday’s decision on Leo Carlsson could do more than settle one big contract question - it may set off the next wave of RFA drama across the NHL.
The reason is simple: once Carlsson signed that five-year, $90 million offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers, the market tightened up. Free-agent movement slowed, several notable restricted free agents stayed unsigned, and the league suddenly had a fresh benchmark hanging over every negotiation.
That’s why Adam Fantilli has become a name worth watching in Columbus.
Insider Chris Johnston pointed to the Blue Jackets center as a possible target if the offer-sheet market keeps heating up. As Johnston put it:
“That’s a little harder to ascertain. I certainly know that there are teams out there that are interested in signing him.
You’ve got Adam Fantilli, who’s a restricted free agent in Columbus. I think that if he was willing to do it, I do think there’s at least the potential for it.
There’s been lots of discussion around it”
Fantilli, 21, just finished the three-year, $2.85 million entry-level deal he signed after being drafted by Columbus in 2023. Last season, he put up 59 points, scoring 24 goals and adding 35 assists in 82 games.
For the Blue Jackets, the timing couldn’t be much messier. There’s already uncertainty around Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko, and Fantilli is the kind of young center Columbus can’t afford to lose control of easily.
The Carlsson contract has only pushed Fantilli’s price higher, which means Columbus may have to go bigger than expected if it wants to keep him in the fold long term. And if the talks stall, the chance of another massive offer sheet only grows.
In Other News...
Brandon Dubinsky Still Embodies The Blue Jackets At Their Toughest
Brandon Dubinsky arrived in Columbus as a second-round pick in 2004 and, over the years, became one of the most recognizable players to wear a Blue Jackets sweater because of the way he played. He was physical, relentless and wired for the kind of game that tends to matter most when the stakes rise, which is part of why his name still comes up whenever the franchises identity is discussed. His six-year contract in 2014 only reinforced how central he had become to the organization.
Dubinskys playing days ended after the 2018-19 season, but he has not drifted far from the team or the city that embraced him. He remains involved in local business and is still a familiar face at Blue Jackets games, a reminder of an era when Columbus leaned on toughness and competitiveness as much as skill. For a club still trying to define what it looks like at its hardest, Dubinsky remains an easy reference point. [Read more 🡒]