What is talking the Columbus Blue Jackets so long to get Adam Fantilli signed? Are they creating other risks?
Sportsnet 590 The FAN: Frank Seravalli, when asked how important Adam Fantilli is for the Columbus Blue Jackets. He remains unsigned, while the Blue Jackets do have salary cap space. Head coach Rick Bowness has been critical of the team, and he got a one-year extension. Will they run into a Zach Werenski issue again?
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Ailish Forfar: “I don’t know what your projects are for Columbus, but I want to get your thoughts on Adam Fantilli?”
Justin Cuthbert: “$15 million for Adam Fantilli.”
Forfar: “So you know, obviously one of the few remaining question marks going into this year. Not showing up to camp, obviously waiting for this decision to be made. What do you think the holdup is there? Where do you think the ask is, and how important he is to be a part of Columbus’ future?”
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Seravalli: “I mean, how important is he to their future? Like, I don’t know how much more important you could be other than Zach Werenski and (Kirill) Marchenko. Like, the fact that we’ve gone all summer for a team that, again, is lacking in overall pieces and are willing to enter camp without any real cap crunch at all from getting a deal done.
Like, it does not compute to me that this file has lingered as long as it has. And I think each day that passes and a deal hasn’t been consummated is like unforgivable for the Columbus Blue Jackets moving forward.
So in this summer of turmoil, in this this, lots of question marks about who’s coming, who’s going, what kind of commitment are they going to get from Fantilli or others? Get it done. And if you have to overpay because you’re in Columbus, like, well, what’s it to you? Like, cap space is use or lose. So I’m not really understanding it.
And look, I love Rick Bowness, but count me among the people that don’t really understand what’s happening, as he was again critical of players that he believes came in out of shape.
Cuthbert: “Yeah, it’s like Zach Werenski is playing nice in the sandbox, and you’re gonna mess this up with Adam Fantilli and have Rick Bowness shoot his mouth off this early. It’s like, you got to do everything you can to placate Zach Werenski because he should be gone. If he, if Zach Werenski is smart, he should get out of there the first chance he gets. And he like, recommitted himself, and it’s like, who are you recommitting yourself to? Anyway, that’s that’s…”
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Serevalli: “I call them deeply unserious is, is the way that I would phrase their operation. And again, it’s not ageism at all, but bringing back a 71-year-old coach who was incredibly critical of the team at the end of the year, and then signing him to a one-year deal. What? So we can get to the other end of this season and then do this all over again? What, like stability, stability, stability? I cannot stress it enough.”
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Questions involving Columbus Blue Jackets Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko https://t.co/8ln7pf4KCS
— NHLRumors.com (@MyNHLRumorsX) September 18, 2026