Adam Fantilli’s Contract Holdout Continues as Blue Jackets Training Camp Moves Forward
The Columbus Blue Jackets have begun training camp without arguably their most important young player, as star center Adam Fantilli remains unsigned amid an ongoing contract dispute.
Fantilli, a restricted free agent, did not report for the opening of Blue Jackets camp and will not participate until a new contract is reached. The 21-year-old and Columbus have spent months negotiating a long-term extension, but the two sides have yet to agree on Fantilli’s value. General manager Don Waddell has maintained that discussions have remained amicable and that he remains confident a deal will eventually get done. (NHL)
The situation has become more complicated following several massive contracts for other young NHL stars. Anaheim’s Leo Carlsson received a five-year, $90 million deal after the Ducks matched an offer sheet, while Cutter Gauthier signed a six-year extension carrying a $13.5 million annual cap hit. Waddell acknowledged that Carlsson’s deal changed the marketplace during negotiations with Fantilli. (NHL)
Fantilli has certainly built a strong case for a significant payday. Selected third overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, he has recorded 67 goals and 140 points through his first 213 NHL games. After scoring a career-high 31 goals in 2024-25, Fantilli followed it up with 24 goals and a career-best 59 points last season while playing all 82 games. (Reuters)
His absence is particularly significant considering the role Columbus planned for him this season. Fantilli was expected to open camp as the Blue Jackets’ No. 1 center alongside Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko, with head coach Rick Bowness planning to give him even more responsibility. Bowness also revealed that Fantilli called him before camp and emphasized that the young center still wants to be in Columbus. (NHL)
Now, the clock is beginning to matter.
Columbus opens its regular season on October 1 against the Buffalo Sabres, leaving increasingly little time for Fantilli to sign, join his teammates and prepare for the season. For a Blue Jackets organization attempting to end a six-year playoff drought, getting its franchise center back on the ice could be one of the biggest priorities before opening night. (NHL)
For now, both sides appear focused on finding a way to keep Fantilli in Columbus. However, the longer the contract standoff continues, the more questions it could create about his long-term future with the organization. Fantilli remains under team control as a restricted free agent, so a holdout does not mean an immediate departure, but failing to reach a deal that satisfies both sides could influence how he views his future when he eventually has greater control over where he plays.
Fantilli has the potential to become one of the faces of the Blue Jackets for years to come. Columbus now has to determine what that future is worth. If the two sides cannot find common ground, this contract dispute could eventually become about more than just this season — and Fantilli could explore other options when his contractual situation gives him the opportunity.
