It's finally over, Adamo Guiliano Fantilli will be a Columbus Blue Jacket until 2032

The wait is finally over. Adam Fantilli has re-signed with the Blue Jackets.

Late this afternoon, Union Blue General Manager and President of Hockey Operations Don Waddell announced that Adamo Giuliano Fantilli will remain under a Columbus Blue Jackets contract until 2032. "Mo" put pen to paper on a six-year deal worth $82.5 million contract, which will bring a cap hit of $13.75 million for its term.

This signing finally ends a 14-month odyssey waiting for the franchise's most valuable young player in its 26 years history to a close, and gives Jackets fans some hope for the future. In an offseason of turmoil unlike almost any other, this is a great set of news for the Union Blue faithful as the Columbus hockey club heads into the most important season in franchise history,

Don Waddell had this to say in the team's press release:

"“Adam Fantilli has all of the tools you look for in a player – speed, size, skill – along with a competitive drive to succeed. He is one of the most exciting young players in the NHL and a big part of what we are building in Columbus, so this is a very exciting day for our organization and our fans"

Blue Jackets GM and POHO Don Waddell

It's hard to disagree with the longtime front office executive. Mo quite possibly has the highest upside for a Blue Jackets-drafted player next to Zach Werenski in the franchise's history, and after the season Z just had, that is a high bar.

Fantilli finished the season last year with a 24-35-59 line in all 82 games, his second straight season of playing in every game for the club, while posting an admittedly disappointing -13 rating, 38 penalty minutes, 13 power play points and a 11.2% shooting percentage while averaging 18:54 minutes a night on the ice as his ice time only seemed to increase as the year went on.

Mo's value not only as a player but as a symbol for this long-suffering franchise cannot be understated: there was no situation in which the Blue Jackets could afford him leaving, and so Fantilli and his agent Pat Brisson held most of the negotiating power.

And yet, following the market implosion for young centremen caused by Leo Carlsson's offer sheet earlier this summer, the Blue Jackets still managed to get him on a relative discount and for a longer term than was previously expected.

Fantilli signed for a year long and for millions of dollars less than both Leo Carlsson and Connor Bedard, the two players drafted in front of him in the 2023 draft, despite Mo only having one less career point than Carlsson in 12 more games played.

Frankly, it's a tidy piece of business for Don Waddell and the Jackets' front office, and it means Fantilli can join the rest of training camp with the start of the season still a week away.

Welcome back to Columbus, Mo. We're lucky to have you.

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