The Columbus Blue Jackets still have three unsigned players with late July bearing down on them, but the framework of the biggest contract — forward Adam Fantilli’s extension — is starting to take shape.
A league source told The Athletic‘s Aaron Portzline that an eight-year deal, the longest term currently permitted under NHL rules, is not likely for Fantilli. The preferred term sits between five and seven years, which would carry the 2023 third overall pick into his unrestricted free-agency years. Five years is considered the most probable outcome.
That would mirror the deals signed by Fantilli’s draft classmates in recent weeks. Connor Bedard, the No. 1 overall pick in 2023, signed a five-year, $75 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. Leo Carlsson, the No. 2 pick, signed a five-year, $90 million offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers that the Anaheim Ducks matched earlier in July. Both players surrendered one year of unrestricted free agency in the process.
Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell told Portzline that contract talks have remained “amicable and active” with all three unsigned players. Waddell said he spoke with Fantilli’s agent, Pat Brisson, every day last week, including a “back-and-forth” on Friday. He had not spoken with Brisson since Bedard’s contract terms became public on Saturday.
“It’s hard for me to comment on other teams,” Waddell said when asked about the impact of Bedard’s deal on Fantilli’s negotiations. “Any time you have an offer sheet, that’s a one-off. What teams do after that, the decisions they’re going to make … it’s not them being worried about an offer sheet, but what the player’s worth is, not only today, but going forward.”
Fantilli is four years away from unrestricted free agency. A five-year pact would buy one year of his UFA eligibility, the same structure Bedard and Carlsson accepted.
The Blue Jackets have two other files open on Waddell’s desk. Goaltender Jet Greaves has an arbitration hearing scheduled for Thursday in Toronto. Greaves, 25, posted a strong first full NHL season in 2025-26 — by some metrics, a top-10 campaign among league netminders — but has only one season of starting work on his résumé. The Blue Jackets are seeking a one-year ruling if the case reaches arbitration, which would prevent Greaves from walking directly into unrestricted free agency after 2027-28. Waddell said the club’s preference remains a multiyear extension.
“Our whole goal is trying to get an extension, a multiyear extension,” Waddell said. “If not, we’ll get to arbitration and get a deal, and nobody gets mad because somebody else makes the decision for you.”
Forward Cole Sillinger has his arbitration hearing set for July 27. The gap there is term, not dollars. Columbus wants a long-term contract that extends into Sillinger’s UFA years; the 23-year-old is seeking a shorter deal to return to the bargaining table sooner. Sillinger’s offensive production has lagged since a 16-goal rookie season in 2021-22 — he managed a 5.9 shooting percentage last year, ahead of only defensemen Erik Gudbranson and Ivan Provorov among Blue Jackets with 30-plus shots. His speed and tenacity generate chances, but the finishing has not followed.
One way or another, at least one of the three will be under contract by week’s end. The arbitrator’s ruling on Greaves, if a hearing is necessary, is due within 48 hours of Thursday’s proceedings.