Adam Fantilli's contract talks with the Columbus Blue Jackets got a reassuring update this week.
Elliotte Friedman addressed the pricing gap directly on NHL Tonight, and this version sounds calmer than the last one.
"For what Fantilli's after-Leo Carlsson extension price would be, I don't think Columbus has gotten there yet," Friedman said.
He didn't stop there, though. "I haven't heard that that's on the road to any serious trouble," he added.
That's the key line here. A gap between asking price and offer isn't the same thing as a negotiation heading toward a real problem.
Carlsson's new deal with Anaheim reportedly carries an $18,000,000 AAV, the exact benchmark Fantilli's camp is now being measured against.
Speculation for months has pointed to a five-year extension for Fantilli somewhere between $13,000,000 and $14,000,000 annually.
Elliotte Friedman: Re Adam Fantilli/Blue Jackets negotiations: For what Fantilli's after-Leo Carlsson [18m AAV extension] price would be, I don't think Columbus has gotten there yet; I haven't heard that that's on the road to any serious trouble - NHL Tonight (9/4)
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NHLRR: The speculation for months has been a Fantilli extension at 5 years at somewhere between 13 and 14 million per season
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Adam Fantilli contract talks get major update from Elliotte Friedman
That range would still leave real distance between Fantilli and the Carlsson benchmark, even if it represents a significant raise.
Fantilli posted 24 goals and 35 assists for 59 points across all 82 games last season, a full campaign at just 21 years old.
He's still on his entry-level deal at a cap hit of only $950,000, a number about to look completely outdated once this new contract lands.
Is a gap this size actually a problem, or is it just the normal distance between where talks start and where they end up?
It's the hockey equivalent of a house selling below the original asking price. That's not a broken deal, that's just how negotiating works.
Columbus finished last season 40-30-12, good for 18th overall, a middle-tier team that needs its young core locked in and producing.
My take: Friedman's tone here matters more than the number itself. Calling something not close to trouble is about as reassuring as these updates get.
Nothing is signed yet, but this reads like a deal still working itself out normally, not one stuck at an actual impasse.
That distinction matters heading into camp. Negotiating gaps close. Actual stalemates tend to drag on for months without any softening in tone.
Do you think Adam Fantilli will be signed before Blue Jackets camp opens?
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