Chris Johnston put a number on the Adam Fantilli standoff, and it explains why the Blue Jackets still don't have him in camp.
Columbus has been in the 12 million dollar range on their side of those discussions, Johnston said on his show.
Nobody can call that a lowball. That's a club trying to finish the thing.
And he still isn't in the building. Which tells you the ask sits somewhere north of that figure.
Elliotte Friedman reported the camp has had a target in mind for some time and hasn't really budged from it.
Friedman called it a Carlsson era target. That comparable is doing all the heavy lifting in these talks.
He's on a $950,000 cap hit until somebody signs something. He's 21 years old.
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Adam Fantilli's contract demands remain firm as Blue Jackets discuss massive payday
Brisson represents him and Friedman named him directly. Agents who set a figure early and hold it usually collect most of it.
The case for the player is real without being overwhelming. Fantilli put up 59 points across all 82 games last season.
He also finished at a -13. That's the number Don Waddell slides back across the table.
Leo Carlsson had 67 points in 70 games at the same age. There's the gap in the entire argument.
Kirill Marchenko is also non-committal about his own future in Columbus. Two young pieces, two open files.
The Blue Jackets beat Detroit 1-0 in a shootout Monday without either of them dressed.
Jet Greaves stopped all 16 he faced across 40 minutes. Pheonix Copley handled the rest and took the decision.
Rick Bowness is running a camp without his young centre. Waddell has held that chair since May 2024.
Buffalo hosts Columbus tonight, and the questions travel with the team.
So who blinks at 12 million? Negotiating against a number the other side set in June works like haggling over a price tag nobody printed. There's no reference point anyone agrees on.
The season starts whether this gets signed or not. Every week it drags, the leverage quietly shifts toward the guy who isn't in the room.
Is $12 million a year enough for Adam Fantilli in Columbus?
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