Two down. One to go.
President and general manager Don Waddell came into the offseason with three restricted free agents. Two of those contracts, one for Jet Greaves and the other for Cole Sillinger, are complete.
Now there's just one left: Adam Fantilli.
The former third overall pick, who's been vacationing in Italy, is expected to begin working toward a new contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets soon.
Fantilli’s contemporaries from the 2023 draft class, Connor Bedard and second overall pick Leo Carlsson, have signed new deals.
Macklin Celebrini, the first overall pick in 2024, signed a five-year, $94 million contract, with a record $18.8 million average annual value, surpassing the $18 million Carlsson got earlier this offseason when the Ducks matched the Flyers' offer sheet.
In just his second NHL season, Celebrini increased his point total by 52 points, finishing with 45 goals, 70 assists, and 115 points while finishing fourth in the Hart Trophy voting as the league's most valuable player.
Bedard signed a five-year, $75 million deal with an AAV of $15 million. The Athletic's Aaron Portline thinks Fantilli's anticipated contract will be for five years and between $13-14 million AAV.
Aaron Portzline believes Fantilli’s extension with the Blue Jackets will come in at 5 years with a $13-14 Million AAV. pic.twitter.com/0XCphSQyZy
— Daily Faceoff (@DailyFaceoff) July 28, 2026
No matter what the official figures end up being, Fantilli will be paid like a star. With that contract comes the expectation that he'll become arguably the most important forward for the Blue Jackets.
We’ve talked extensively about the importance of the upcoming season. If the Blue Jackets are finally going to take that next step, they'll need their best young players to do the same.
Ending the playoff drought is the immediate goal. However, the question then becomes what kind of team the Blue Jackets can become once they get there.
While Fantilli's early career has received less attention or fanfare than Bedard's or even Carlsson's, he can be a huge reason for the Jackets’ success.
Salary comparisons only tell part of the story. Fantilli, Carlsson, and Bedard are not the same type of player, but their production through the early stages of their careers shows Fantilli belongs in that conversation.
Ever since Fantilli’s rookie season was cut in half due to injury, limiting him to 49 games, he’s played all 82 games each of the last two seasons. In 2024-25, he scored 54 points (31 goals, 23 assists), and in '25-26 he scored 59 points (24 goals, 35 assists).
Fantilli's 113 points over the last two seasons are one more than Carlsson's during that span. Including Fantilli's injury-shortened rookie season in 2023-24, Carlsson holds a narrow 141-140 career edge. Bedard has 203 points (75 goals, 128 assists) since he broke into the league in '23-24, while battling a few different injuries.
For the Blue Jackets to take that next step, Fantilli has to do the same. He's shown steady improvement every season. Now the expectation changes from progression to impact.
The Blue Jackets don't need Fantilli to become Connor McDavid overnight. They need him to become the type of player who consistently drives wins. If that happens, Columbus' playoff aspirations become much more realistic — and its ceiling rises well beyond simply ending the six-year drought.
Whether that's producing 70-80 points, becoming more dangerous on the power play, or taking another step defensively under head coach Rick Bowness, the Blue Jackets are counting on their franchise center to turn playoff aspirations into playoff reality.
