Fantilli Contract Endgame Inches Closer as Columbus Braces for the Ask

Don Waddell is ready to move. Columbus's general manager told The Athletic on Wednesday that he remains confident a contract resolution with Adam Fantilli will materialize in the near future, with a formal proposal headed to agent Pat Brisson within 24 hours. The restricted free agent is no longer playing on an entry-level deal after his three-year contract expired following the 2025-26 season, meaning both sides are now negotiating in earnest territory where the market—not the salary cap floor—sets the ceiling.

Fantilli's 59 points in 82 games last season mark a third consecutive year of offensive contribution without the elite consistency his third-overall pedigree suggested. Sixty-seven goals and 140 points across 213 career games represents solid production for a 22-year-old, but the plateau is real: his per-82 rate has essentially flatlined. That matters because restricted free agent comps have exploded. Recent signings by comparable talent (same draft class, similar age and output tier) have pushed expectations toward the $6–7.5 million range on term lengths favoring the player. Waddell has $11.7 million in cap space to work with, a number that appears comfortable until you layer in the cost of filling out a competitive bottom six and potential future extensions for other core pieces.

What's driving urgency now is market timing. Every day closer to the regular season that passes without a deal increases the leverage of the player's camp. A training-camp holdout becomes more painful for Columbus, which needs Fantilli's 18–20 minutes of ice time in the top six to function. Brisson knows this. More acutely, Waddell knows his opponent knows. The 24-hour proposal signal is tactical—it's a move toward settlement, not a take-it-or-leave-it ultimatum. If Brisson doesn't respond within 48–72 hours, expect a second proposal with tighter numbers, followed by arbitration posturing if needed. Neither side wants that, but the threat remains live.

For prop bettors, the contract status creates a behavioral wild card for the regular season. If Fantilli signs a long-term deal north of $6.5 million before puck drop, he enters 2026-27 with clean reconciliation psychology—no resentment, no prove-it mentality. That scenario favors modest over-performance on shots and assists. If negotiations drag into October or resolve through arbitration, expect a different player: one motivated by external validation and likely to hunt for volume early. That version of Fantilli is a seasonal-arc bet, not a nightly props play. Either way, his ice time and usage are locked in (top-six winger, power-play exposure), so the variance lives in shot selection and assist generation, not opportunity.

Waddell's confidence language—'near future,' not 'imminent'—suggests negotiating room remains. The proposal drop within 24 hours is a test of reasonableness, not a final offer. Expect resolution before the season tips off, but the gap between now and that handshake is where Columbus's leverage quietly erodes.