It won’t happen the minute the clock strikes noon July 1 to open the NHL’s window for free agency, but the Blue Jackets will contact Adam Fantilli’s agent this summer.
The topic will be the young star center’s next contract after his entry-level deal expires following the upcoming 2025-26 season. Don Waddell, the Blue Jackets’ president of hockey operations/general manager, said it’s on his list of to-dos.
The league’s July 1 start of free agency is the first official opportunity Waddell gets to discuss Fantilli’s next deal, which will give the third overall pick from the 2023 NHL Draft a big pay bump.
“I can’t tell you it’s going to be July 1, but we’ll talk this summer for sure,” Waddell said. “These are the hardest deals to get done for long term, because, obviously, the short (playing) window the player’s had. The good thing is … I’ve done a lot of deals with (his agent) and he’ll see the market probably the same way we are.”
Fantilli is represented by CAA’s Pat Brisson, who represents many of the NHL’s star players. Brisson also represents Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson, the fifth overall pick of the 2021 draft, who had his first big NHL breakout effort in 2024-25.
Fantilli had a huge breakout season of his own during his second NHL campaign, finishing with 31 goals, 23 assists and 54 points while playing all 82 games. After his rookie season ended roughly halfway through due to a severe calf laceration, Fantilli looked ready to handle the role of a No.1 center.
He filled in admirably as the top center for nearly two months while veteran Sean Monahan was out with a wrist injury and finished on a tear with 9-1-10 in the Jackets’ final 10 games to help them nearly qualify for the playoffs.
After compiling a scoring line of 12-15-27 in 49 games as a rookie in 2023-24, Fantilli has a career line of 42-38-81 in 131 games with one year left on an entry-level contract that has a base salary of $950,000, plus $3.2 million he can add via performance bonuses.
Waddell doesn’t sound ready to approach Fantilli’s next deal with the goal of locking him up long-term.
“We may have to do a short-term bridge deal in the meantime, but it’ll get done,” Waddell said. “Time is not that important just yet, but it’ll come this summer.”
Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com and @BrianHedger.bsky.social
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets GM Waddell to open talks on Fantilli’s next contract this summer
Reporting by Brian Hedger, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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