Brian LaRose | at 24 July 2026, 18:58
After re-signing Jet Greaves And Cole Sillinger Earlier this week, the Blue Jackets had one remaining free agent, center Adam Fantilli. However, don’t expect a quick fix on this front. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic Relays (Twitter link) reports that talks are temporarily on hold while the youngster is on leave. Accordingly, discussions will resume next week, with Portzline noting that some progress had been made in discussions prior to this brief pause. The 21-year-old had 24 goals and 35 assists in 81 games last season, setting career highs in assists and points. According to PuckPedia, Columbus has just under $14.5 million in cap space remaining, which should be enough to lock up Fantilli in the coming days or weeks.
More from the Met:
- Prospect Flyers KJ Sauer will make the jump to the NCAA. The forward announced on his Instagram page that he has committed to play for the University of Minnesota. However, the commitment is believed to be for the 2027-28 season, meaning the 18-year-old will play for WHL Edmonton this season as originally intended. Sauer was drafted by Philadelphia in the fifth round last month. He played primarily at the high school level in Minnesota and also competed in several USHL tournaments.
- The Islanders have added even more depth to their new farm team in Hamilton. The Hammers recently announced they had signed the defender Brandon Scanlin to the annual agreement. The 27-year-old spent the previous five seasons with the Rangers, playing primarily for their farm team in Hartford. Scanlin scored 11 points in 49 games for the Wolfpack last season, bringing his career total to 57 points in 255 contests at that level. He has one NHL game under his belt back in the 2023-24 season.