Adam Fantilli is still unsigned, and a Friday clip from the 32 Thoughts Podcast finally put shape on what's stalling the Blue Jackets.
Elliotte Friedman said Fantilli's representation, Pat Brisson, has had a target in mind for some time. And they haven't really budged from it.
Friedman went further, calling it a Carlsson era target. A number set when that comparable was fresh, and never walked back since.
So look at what the agent is leaning on. Leo Carlsson put up 29 goals and 38 assists over 70 games last season in Anaheim.
The Columbus forward played all 82 games and finished with 59 points. Solid year. Not the same argument.
Both are 21. Both still sit on a $950,000 cap hit. One side of that comparison has a much better slide to show at the table.
Then there's the number Don Waddell can put on the other side of the desk. A -13 rating is exactly what a front office reaches for when the ask climbs.
Adam Fantilli contract standoff just became a nightmare for Columbus
The young forward is listed as questionable for the start of the season. Waddell has run this front office since May 2024, and this file is his.
It isn't the only one open. Kirill Marchenko told reporters Friday he can only talk about hockey.
Asked where he would like to play, the winger said on the ice. A 27-goal scorer doesn't need to say much more than that.
So camp opens with a top six piece treating the podium like an exit interview and a young scorer without a contract. Rough week in Ohio.
The Blue Jackets finished 40-30-12 last season and landed 18th overall. Nothing about that record buys patience.
They scored 253 goals and allowed 253. Dead even, which is the worst place to sit when two contract files open at the same time.
The close was worse. They went 2-7-1 over their last 10 and dropped a 1-2 home decision to Washington to end it.
Rick Bowness took over behind the bench on January 12. He walks into a camp where the two loudest storylines have nothing to do with systems.
So where is the leverage here? The player has time and a clean comparable. The team has a schedule that starts whether the paperwork gets done or not.
A standoff like this works like a house that has been on the market too long. The asking price stops being a number and turns into a statement.
Brisson has a target and no reason to move off it. Waddell has a lineup that looks thinner every day this drags, and nobody blinked this week.
Should Don Waddell meet Adam Fantilli's asking price before camp opens?
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