As the offseason transactions slow down with insiders enjoying their cottages, skaters celebrating, vacationing, and parenting, and managers and agents continue to negotiate, this summer still remains with unsolved. The Blue Jackets have three free agents with two heading to arbitration including forward Cole Sillinger and goaltender Jet Greaves. Forward Adam Fantilli hangs in limbo with the possibility of an offer sheet or the richest contract in franchise history. After the recent matched offer sheet of a 5 year, $90 million contract to the 2023 second overall selection Leo Carlsson between the Philadelphia Flyers and Anaheim Ducks, the first and third picks remain unsigned. Carlsson becomes the highest paid player in the league with this new deal. This move also walks the center to unrestricted free agency and becomes untradable until July 9, 2027 due to the CBA rules. Leo Carlsson has tallied 61 goals and 141 points in 201 career regular-season games for the Anaheim Ducks, while Adam Fantilli has recorded 67 goals and 140 points in 213 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Per David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period, Fanittli will not be pursued by the Flyers due to the Zegas and Drysalde arbitration. The cap hit is continuing to grow, and the Jackets do have the heavy contract of Elvis Merzlikins, Kirill Marchenko, and Dmitry Voronkov upcoming. The year after is Werenski's massive $9.5M discount coming off the books. With about $20M remaining, the max is obtainable for Fantilli, but Greaves is asking for Elvis money and Sillinger also needs a new deal. Additionally, Johnson and Mateychuk need new deals. Fantilli is electric, and will get the bank. The question is where in Wadell's budget will the top center fit in a new double digit deal. The worry is the longer this goes, the more the he could miss time or could be an offer sheet candidate. There is also speculation a team like Carolina or Detroit may want him, or may do a sign and trade with current RFAs to obtain other players elsewhere with no movement or no trade clauses. Sillinger, while previously connected to the Canucks, is locked into his rights at arbitration and will be here for the forseeable future. It'll be between the moderator, agent, and management to settle on his new short term extension. Greaves carried the load in Columbus as the number one, and has the time to continue to prove he is the 1A/1B with Copley, Merzlikins, and Ivanov going forward. Luke Tuch will also be a short term deal after the recent trade for forward Hunter McKown. Jake DeBrusk remains available on the trade block with term and the desire to win. Waddell and Rutherford have connected on trades before, but with the new management in charge, is there an opportunity to unite on a move? The second round picks here have been moved almost every season by Waddell, and could that be the center piece of a potential trade? Columbus still needs to upgrade their blueline because they cannot afford to run it back with the same seven men as this last season. Morgan Reilly and Rasmus Ristolanen are out there for trade, Logan Stanley, Matt Grzelyck, Nick Blankenburg, and John Klingberg remain unsigned as a free agent. The league's full list of free agents