Connor Bedard’s new deal in Chicago is already sending ripples through the rest of the league, and the next name in line could be Adam Fantilli.
The Blackhawks and Bedard landed on a five-year extension, and the real sticking point, according to multiple reports and a statement from agent Don Meehan, was the term rather than the money. Meehan said the shorter route made sense for the player with the salary cap rising, but Kyle Davidson needed more than a three-year commitment from his franchise cornerstone.
That pushed the sides to five years. Meehan also said they were not waiting on another contract, such as Leo Carlsson’s, to establish the market.
The number they had in mind was already $15 million.
That price tag doesn’t exactly come out of nowhere anymore. The cap landscape has changed fast, and Bedard’s deal looks like another sign of where things are headed.
For Columbus, that matters. Fantilli remains unsigned, and the Blue Jackets are sitting on just over $23 million in cap space while also trying to sort out Jet Greaves and Cole Sillinger, both of whom filed for arbitration.
Fantilli has been in the mix for an offer sheet conversation, and now his camp has even more leverage. With Carlsson’s offer sheet and Bedard’s extension in the background, the asking price can only climb from here.
The current talks are believed to be north of a $10 million salary on a bridge deal, but that number may not hold. A three-year contract at $12 million would fit the new reality, while a long-term deal could climb all the way to the $15 million mark Bedard just set. For restricted free agents, this is the new game: maximize now, because the market keeps moving.
Minnesota, meanwhile, has been playing a different waiting game.
The Wild have been tied to Dylan Larkin for a while, and even with Steve Yzerman no longer running the Red Wings, that situation still has to be resolved. Teams keep calling, and Minnesota believes it has a real shot.
The club has also checked in on other centres, including Robert Thomas and Mason McTavish, but several of the names linked to them have already come off the board. Vincent Trocheck was one of the clearest fits, but the Wild never seriously pushed there because they knew Larkin wanted to come to Minnesota.
According to Joe Smith and Michael Russo of The Athletic, the Wild “…essentially backed out of even attempting to trade for Vincent Trocheck this offseason because they were well aware Larkin wants to come to Minnesota.”
Larkin is said to have four teams on his list: the Wild, Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, and Dallas Stars. Minnesota has the prospect and draft capital to make a deal work, but Detroit has been looking for NHL players in return. Elliotte Friedman said Joel Eriksson Ek could come up in those discussions, though Bill Guerin would not move him.
So the question hanging over Minnesota is simple: how long do they keep waiting on Larkin, and do they eventually turn elsewhere for their centre?
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Among the names now hovering around the job is Brendan Shanahan, a familiar figure in Detroit circles and, according to Elliotte Friedman, someone who could have real interest in the opening. Shanahan is not confirmed as a candidate, but the possibility adds an intriguing layer to a search that will shape the next phase of the Red Wings rebuild and determine how much of the Yzerman era carries forward. [Read more 🡒]
Dylan Larkin Trade Buzz Just Took Another Turn For Red Wings Fans
Minnesota spent part of the summer treating Dylan Larkin as the center of its search for help down the middle, and that pursuit shaped other decisions along the way. The Wild were so focused on Detroits captain that they held off on other options, including Vincent Trocheck, while trying to see whether a deal could come together for a player who fit their need for a top-six center.
Now the path looks less straightforward for the Wild, and that matters because they already passed on some fallback routes while waiting on the Larkin situation. With Detroits front office picture shifting and the trade market no longer lining up as neatly as it once did, Minnesota is left trying to solve a problem it has been circling for months without a clear answer in hand. [Read more 🡒]