Blue Jackets sign Adam Fantilli to six-year contract

Fantilli had been a restricted free agent prior to this extension.

Last season, the Toronto native put up 24 goals and 35 assists for 59 points in all 82 games.

Initially selected third overall by Columbus in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, Fantilli jumped immediately to the NHL and played 49 games for the Blue Jackets in the 2023-24 season, notching 12 goals and 15 assists for 27 points. He suffered a laceration to his left calf in January of that season that cut his rookie campaign short.

In the 2024-25 season, he saw a slight bump in his pace of production while managing to remain healthy, registering 31 goals and 23 assists for 54 points in 82 games.

Prior to getting drafted, Fantilli spent one year in the NCAA with the University of Michigan, where he dominated with 30 goals and 35 assists for 65 points in 36 games.

Fantilli, 21, has already proven to be a legitimate top-six center in the NHL, but the Blue Jackets are banking on his continued development. Him becoming the point-per-game, top-line center he was projected to be when drafted would go a long way towards them getting back into the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Making the playoffs could also be key in getting an extension done with star defenseman Zach Werenski, who has two years left on his current contract.

At 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, Fantilli is a powerful, two-way center that has the tools to work his way into Selke Trophy conversations down the road. He, along with the likes of forwards Kirill Marchenko, Kent Johnson, and defenseman Denton Mateychuk, represent Columbus’ future.