Blue Jackets’ GM Waddell 100% Confident Fantilli Deal Will Get Done Before Training Camp

The hockey world continues to wait for the Columbus Blue Jackets to sign star forward Adam Fantilli. With just eight days to go until training camp opens, each passing day brings more pressure to get a deal done.

Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell is not only very confident a deal will get done, he put it at 100%.

Waddell 100% Confident

Speaking to the Hockey Writers on Wednesday, Waddell talked about the status of their ongoing negotiations with Fantilli. Although there is nothing imminent as of this writing, there is sky-high confidence that the two sides will agree before next Thursday.

“I’m 100% that we’ll get this thing done,” Waddell said. “It’s not imminent, but we’re talking on a pretty regular basis now. I talked to his agent over the weekend and going to talk again here today or tomorrow. So, as long as you are talking, I always feel like you’re going to find a way to get a solution for everybody and everybody’s happy.”

Fantilli was not at the team’s annual golf outing at Double Eagle on Wednesday but Waddell said he didn’t expect the forward to come down while these negotiations are still ongoing.

While there has been a gap in negotiations, Waddell said he will be meeting in the next week or so about the team’s five-year plan. Thanks to the Leo Carlsson offer sheet among other things, the landscape has changed. The Blue Jackets recognize that.

“We lay out a five-year plan,” Waddell said. “We’re actually going to go through that here in the next week or so because the way the summer’s changed so much. We’re going to have to increase some guys, of course.”

Besides Fantilli’s new deal, the Blue Jackets will need to consider what contracts may look like for Kirill Marchenko if he’s still with the team after this season. They also have to consider Zach Werenski’s next deal in light of Cale Makar’s record deal.

The Blue Jackets and Fantilli’s camp led by Pat Brisson are talking on a regular basis. As of now, the team remains confident a deal will get done. Both sides recognize the importance of this so that the player doesn’t miss the start of camp.