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Apr 13, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli (19) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Washington Capitals in the second period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Blue Jackets GM Hoping to Finalize Extension for Top Center

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Jacob Punturi | Last updated Aug 28, 2025 3:00 PM ET

When the Columbus Blue Jackets selected center Adam Fantilli with the third pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, it was with the goal of him becoming a top forward for the organization. His first season in the league provided a promising 49-game sample, putting up 12 goals and 27 points as a 19-year-old.

Last season, Fantilli improved mightily and showed the organization that he could develop into the Blue Jackets number one center. In 82 games last year, he recorded 31 goals and added 23 assists for 54 points to finish tied for first in goals scored and fifth on the team in points. The soon-to-be 21-year-old center is entering the final season of his entry-level deal and became eligible to sign an extension on July 1st earlier this summer.

Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell recently spoke with Jimmy Murphy in an interview with RG and provided hope that they can get a new deal done soon. He mentioned Fantilli’s agent, Pat Brisson, and their long working relationship as something that could help speed things along as the offseason wraps up.

“We’re going to talk here in the next couple weeks,” he said. “I've done a lot of deals over the years with Pat, so we'll be fine and sit down face-to-face and get this done. As we get closer to training camp, I think we’ll be much further ahead, and we have some dates already planned that we'll meet, so let’s go from there.”

The big question is what kind of deal is Fantilli seeking versus what does Waddell feel comfortable spending on his young center. As Waddell said himself, the Ontario, Canada native just keeps improving. While veteran Sean Monahan was brought in last season to be the number one center and leader up the middle, an injury set the stage for Fantilli to step up.

”I just saw him getting better and better,” Waddell said. “Then, unfortunately, we lost Sean for six weeks to his wrist injury, and Adam stepped right into that role. I think if he had just started in that role, I don't know if it would have gone as well for him. So I think having that opportunity to watch Sean be there and him in that 2C provided him the opportunity to, when he got the chance, jump right into that 1C role and never miss a beat.”

As the long-term solution to the top center problem, Fantilli is sure to command a hefty raise. The Blue Jackets are willing to pay to keep their best players, however. They started the summer by signing two key defensemen, Dante Fabbro and Ivan Provorov, to multi-year extensions. They also worked out a new deal with scoring winger Dmitri Voronkov. The team has shown a willingness to negotiate and invest financially in a winning team. Fantilli might be next on the list to commit to the Blue Jackets long-term, and the next few weeks will be pivotal toward getting that extension done.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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