Snapshots: Bedard, Fantilli, Sharpe, Pantelas
The five-year term on Connor Bedard’s new $75MM contract with Chicago raised some eyebrows as it only bought the Blackhawks one extra year of team control. Typically, in those situations, a team will prefer a shorter-term pact to give them another shot at a long-term agreement down the road. Bedard’s agent Don Meehan indicated to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times that while the team did pursue a longer-term agreement with their top player, they didn’t want to do a short-term agreement. Instead, they wanted some continuity and stability to send a signal both internally and externally, which they feel they get with this contract. Meehan also indicated that Bedard is taking an aggressive form of rehab in the hopes of getting back from his shoulder surgery before the projected four-month timeline that carries into November.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- With Leo Carlsson’s offer sheet matched and Bedard’s contract now done, the RFA center market shifts to Blue Jackets middleman Adam Fantilli. GM Don Waddell is doing his best to deter an offer sheet from coming to his youngster as he told Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch that they are prepared to match any offer sheet that comes his way. The 21-year-old had 24 goals and 35 assists in 81 games last season, his most productive year yet. They also have over $23MM in cap room, per PuckPedia, although goalie Jet Greaves and center Cole Sillinger both need new deals as well.
- Kings prospect Will Sharpe has a new team for the upcoming season. The blueliner announced on his Instagram page that he will play for St. Cloud State University next season. Sharpe was a seventh-round pick in 2025 and split last season between WHL Kelowna and Vancouver, notching five goals and 24 assists in 59 games. That actually represented a drop-off in production from the year before when he had 44 points in 66 contests. By going to the NCAA, Sharpe’s signing timeline is extended; had he not made the switch, Los Angeles would have had until June 1st to sign him.
- The opening for Sharpe to make the jump to the NCAA came on the heels of another Kings prospect deciding to make a change, relays Postmedia’s Steve Ewen. Originally expected to attend St. Cloud State this season, Giorgos Pantelas decided to stay in the WHL instead. The 18-year-old indicated that he’d go to school unless he was traded to Penticton, notes Perry Bergson of The Brandon Sun. Pantelas was a fifth-round pick last month, going 153rd overall. The defenseman had 37 points in 68 games last season with WHL Brandon.
The Penguins Need To Find Their Next Superstar
It’s been decades since the Pittsburgh Penguins’ fanbase wondered who their next superstar would be, as they’ve been spoiled for 40 years by the likes of Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Ron Francis, Sidney Crosby, and Evgeni Malkin. This question, though, is on the minds of many Penguins fans and is clearly something Kyle Dubas sees as a problem, especially given that he is eyeing the future and has rebuilt the Penguins’ prospect pool into a respectable one in just two short years. What he lacks, though, is the hardest thing to acquire, and that is the next great superstar to pull on a Penguins jersey. At the moment, there is no clear path for the Penguins to get that player who can define an era of Pittsburgh hockey.
Every successful run of Penguins hockey has been built around the aforementioned superstars. Lemieux saved the Penguins (more than once), Jagr and Francis followed, and so did the titles. Then Crosby and Malkin ushered in a new era of championship hockey, and Pittsburgh’s dominance continued. But they haven’t been a true Cup contender in nearly a decade, and history suggests they need their next star sooner rather than later. That was supposed to happen in this year’s draft with a bottom-five finish in the standings, but the Penguins surprisingly made the playoffs, which sent them back in the draft to pick 22nd.
Stockpiling young talent has been a recent phenomenon for the Penguins, but the time for stockpiling is over, and at some point Dubas has to turn quantity into quality. That’s why so many media outlets and fans have been clamouring for Dubas to make a big splash and acquire Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson. Is Robertson the guy, though? He certainly fits the part as a mid-20s star who can do it all offensively. But just how much will the Penguins be willing to give up, and is he the guy to build around? Only time will tell, but he won’t come cheap, and he will get paid if the Penguins trade for him. As good as Robertson is, he doesn’t feel like the right superstar for the Penguins.
Dubas has done well via trade, bringing in young talent, but the likeliest path to nabbing a future NHL superstar is through the draft. Unless the Penguins finish lower in the standings and get some lottery luck, it might not even be possible. But not all superstars arrive through the draft, and plenty have been traded for. Despite the heater Dubas was on over the past year, it doesn’t feel as though he’s found his superstar yet.
The Penguins have some good pieces, such as Harrison Brunicke, Benjamin Kindel, Rutger McGroarty and Tanner Howe, but none look like superstars unless they dramatically exceed expectations. Even recently acquired and extended Egor Chinakhov looks like a gamer, but it’s hard to believe he is going to morph into a superstar, even though he has an incredible shot.
There is one option for the Penguins that has long been a third rail in NHL circles, and that is the offer sheet. The Penguins are well positioned to offer sheet just about any NHL player in the next year or two, but it would come at an exorbitant cost, and there is a ton of risk involved. But given what Dubas has built and how well he has drafted so far, would giving up four first-round picks to acquire Connor Bedard be worth it? It sure seems that way if there is no other option. Given that the team still employs Crosby and company, they don’t feel like a lottery team anytime soon, which means Dubas is limited in his options to get his next star. It’s also possible that if the Penguins successfully gave up their next four first-round picks but got a superstar in return, those picks could all be late first-round picks.
Another truth about the Penguins is that they haven’t exactly drafted well in the first round when they have used their own pick in the past 10 years. Sure, their 2025 first-round pick was great, and Kindel looks like he should be a terrific NHLer for a long time, but this is a team that also took Owen Pickering, Samuel Poulin and Brayden Yager with their three previous first-round picks, and those players aren’t exactly knocking down the door to get into the NHL. Mid- to late-first-round picks, like most draft picks, are lottery tickets; sure, they have better odds of winning than later picks, but there are no guarantees they turn into full-fledged pro players, while grabbing a player like Bedard or an Adam Fantilli guarantees you get an NHL star right away. It could be a worthwhile gamble for Pittsburgh.
Rebuilding a roster is not easy; retooling is even harder. While Dubas’ work has been admirable, his most difficult task has yet to be completed, and it may require a move so risky that it could set the entire Penguins’ retool back 5- 10 years. It is likely the move that will define Dubas’ tenure in Pittsburgh more than any of the good trades or the good drafting. Pittsburgh has long been an NHL franchise built on drafting generational talent, but this next era of Penguins hockey could be defined by a superstar that was acquired in a different manner, that is if they continue to field a competitive team during the last years of Crosby and Malkin’s NHL careers.
Blue Jackets Notes: Marchenko, Restricted Free Agents, Di Iorio
On Wednesday, the Blue Jackets did their best to put out the flaming fire of speculation surrounding Zach Werenski with both the team and player putting out statements to quell the trade talk. Today, GM Don Waddell tried to do the same thing regarding winger Kirill Marchenko, himself generating a lot of speculation amid reports that he may not be interested in staying in Columbus for the long run.
Speaking to reporters (video link), Waddell indicated that he has had discussions with Marchenko’s agent (Gold Star Hockey’s Dan Milstein) and communicated that their top-scoring forward is “going to be a Blue Jacket when the season starts.”
Marchenko has one season left on his contract at a very team-friendly $3.85MM AAV. Next summer, he’ll be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent and one year away from UFA eligibility. Considering he has put up 74 and 67 points over his last two seasons, it’s fair to say that he’s in line for a substantial raise, potentially pushing for around triple his current price tag. Waddell’s comments should take the air out of any trade speculation for the time being but until Marchenko signs an extension, the uncertainty on that front will continue to loom.
Meanwhile, after bringing in some grit via trade and free agency, Waddell mentioned that his next top priority is dealing with his restricted free agents. Columbus has three of significance, goaltender Jet Greaves along with centers Adam Fantilli and Cole Sillinger. Greaves and Sillinger both have arbitration eligibility so they may be the priority in the short term with the filing deadline coming on Sunday.
While offer sheets are unlikely given how infrequently they’re used, Waddell preemptively pointed out they will match anything other teams might try to sign their players to. The GM wouldn’t provide any specifics on when he thought his players would be signed but guaranteed that they’d be under contract before next season begins.
Greaves took the starting job and ran with it last season, posting a 2.60 GAA and a .908 SV% in 55 games, helping keep the Blue Jackets in the playoff hunt until the end of the season. Fantilli, meanwhile, picking up five more points than he had in his sophomore year, finishing up with 24 goals and 35 assists in 89 games. As for Sillinger, he continues to be consistent offensively. Through five NHL seasons, he has produced between 31 and 33 points in four of them; he hit the higher mark in 2025-26 in 81 games.
The Blue Jackets have a little under $21.5MM in cap space as things stand, per PuckPedia. It will take the bulk of that to sign their RFA class but they should be able to comfortably get all three under contract over the coming months.
Lastly, one of their newest prospects will be on the move after the upcoming season. Alexander Di Iorio announced on his Instagram page earlier this week that he will play for Boston University starting in 2027-18. The center was the 94th pick last month out of OHL Sarnia where he had 31 points in 45 games. He’ll remain with the Sting for the upcoming season and then make the jump to college hockey.
Logan Cooley Extension Setting RFA Market
The Utah Mammoth became the first to cave when they signed pending-restricted free agent and star center Logan Cooley to an eight-year, $80MM contract extension. Mammoth owner Ryan Smith said after that the deal gives both team and player the assurance that Cooley will be able to plant his roots. For teams across the league, the move could have a deeper impact. With fellow young stars Connor Bedard, Leo Carlsson, and Adam Fantilli all on expiring deals of their own – Cooley’s $10MM annual price tag could be the start of negotiations, per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.
That’s great news for Bedard, who is the only on the list to outscore Cooley through their young careers. Cooley boasts 53 goals and 121 points in 168 career games, including this season, while Bedard has managed 51 goals and 142 points in 161 games. There’s no doubt that Bedard has facen the tougher test as well, looking to buoy a desolate Chicago Blackhawks club while Cooley’s rebranded Mammoth look to make their first playoff push.
The heavier load should earn Bedard a boost when negotiations roll around. His yearly cap hit could match Cooley’s $10MM on a shorter deal, potentially four-to-five years, or could go as high as $12MM on a max-term, eight-year deal per LeBrun, who points out that Bedard holds all of the leverage in negotiations. The 20-year-old centerman is a pillar of Chicago’s nightly lineup, and could even be a candidate for their captaincy on his next deal. With no salary cap concerns in sight, Chicago won’t be pressured to spoil Bedard’s importance by trying to save a few extra bucks.
Negotiations could be a bit tougher for Fantilli, who has elevated his play to a true top-line level but hasn’t yet taken over the top forward role for the Columbus Blue Jackets. That title has to stand with right-winger Kirill Marchenko, whose 10 points in 10 games is double what Fantilli’s five points on the year. Part of that scoring dip comes from Fantilli moved away from centering Marchenko, one season after the two played together more than any other Columbus forward pair. Fantilli scored a career-high 31 goals and 54 points, while shooting at a manageable 16.2 percent, in the elevated role last season. This year, he’s been tasked with commanding the team’s second-line, to mixed results.
Signs of continued growing pains does separate Fantilli from the dominant roles of Cooley and Bedard. With those two rivaling for eight-figure contracts, it seems Fantilli would have better luck pushing for a deal in the realm of $9MM each season. Blackhawks winger Frank Nazar recently signed a surprising seven-year, $46.2MM contract after carrying Team USA to a World Championship Gold alongside Cooley. The deal carries a team-friendly $6.6MM cap hit, but pays Nazar $9.1MM and $8.66MM in salary through the first two years respectively. Those numbers could be significant markers for Fantilli, as he looks to sign his own deal as second-fiddle. Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell shared that Columbus doesn’t plan to negotiate a new deal with Fantilli until after the Olympic break, per LeBrun.
Just like at the 2023 Draft, Carlsson’s fate lies somewhere between Bedard and Fantilli. The Swedish-native has taken on a major role for the Anaheim Ducks, offering both top-end impacts both on and off of the puck. He scored a career-high 45 points in 76 games last season. That’s the lowest personal-best on this list, though it came with a Ducks squad that scored the third-fewest goals in the 2024-25 season. Anaheim was led in scoring by Troy Terry‘s 55 points last year, a mark that Carlsson could reasonably clear with some bolstered roles around him. He’s proving as much early on this season, with a team-leading 11 points in nine games while playing alongside Alex Killorn and either Cutter Gauthier or Chris Kreider.
Carlsson appears to have taken a big step forward through the early year. Anaheim won’t have to look far for a comparable deal, after signing Mason McTavish to a six-year, $42MM contract extension in the weeks before the season. The resulting $7MM cap hit is likely a bit cheaper than McTavish could’ve managed on a seven-or-eight-year deal. That should well support Carlsson’s push towards a $9MM contract next summer, especially if he can continue to outscore McTavish through the rest of the year.
The NHL salary cap is presently skyrocketting. It is up $7.5MM this season, and expected to rise another $18MM before the 2027-28 season. That growth has made projecting new contracts a much tougher task – which is where timely extensions like Cooley’s help set the market. He’s been awarded $10MM to man his team’s top-forward role for much of the next decade. That’s set a price tag for the role – one that some 2026 restricted free agents could live up to, while others need to keep trying to play their way into a bigger payday.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.
Adam Fantilli’s Camp Wants To Wait On Extension Talks With Blue Jackets
Last month, Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell said he planned to initiate extension talks with center Adam Fantilli‘s camp as he enters the final season of his entry-level contract. However, he wasn’t successful in doing so. Waddell told Aaron Portzline of The Athletic that Fantilli’s camp is unwilling to sign a long-term deal before a pivotal third NHL season that could dramatically increase his market value when he becomes a restricted free agent next summer.
“We’ve had no negotiations at all,” Waddell told Portzline. “I spoke with (Fantilli’s agent Pat) Brisson last week, and they’re in no hurry from their end. It won’t get done before the season.”
As Portzline emphasizes, the lack of talks shouldn’t be misconstrued as concern over Fantilli’s long-term future in Columbus. In fact, it’s a completely understandable perspective from an incredibly high-ceiling talent who lost some precious development time, missing nearly half his rookie season due to a calf laceration, wanting to make sure he’s paid fairly on a long-term deal.
Of course, it’s also a bet on himself to keep up the momentum he created last season. The 2023 third-overall pick played all 82 games and really began to shine in the back half of the season, clicking at nearly a point-per-game pace after a comparatively slower start to the campaign. All in all, he tallied 31 goals in what was his first fully healthy professional season, tying with Kirill Marchenko for the team lead. He added 23 assists for 54 points to rank fifth on the team in scoring. He didn’t look out of place when trialed in top-line minutes when No. 1 pivot Sean Monahan was out of the lineup for a lengthy stretch later in the year due to a wrist injury, either.
If he signed an extension this offseason, that likely would have commanded a cap hit around $9.5MM on a seven-year pact with the cap projected to jump to at least $104MM for 2026-27, AFP Analytics projects. But if Fantilli can build on his 70-point pace over Columbus’ latter 41 games last year, there’s a strong case for him to dip into the eight-figure range annually and surpass Zach Werenski‘s $9.583MM cap hit as the Jackets’ highest-paid player.
It’s a high-risk, high-reward move from Fantilli’s camp. A long-term offer presumably won’t be on the table if he plateaus this year, resulting in negotiations shifting to a bridge deal and some lost earnings compared to whatever long-term offer is on the table now, at least in the short term.
Whenever extension talks do commence in earnest, cap space won’t be much of a limiting factor. The club has $46.155MM to spend under the projected $104MM limit for 2026-27 with 14 roster spots filled. Their most expensive expiring talent, veterans Charlie Coyle ($5.125MM) and defenseman Erik Gudbranson ($4MM), will almost certainly get pay cuts if they’re re-signed.
Blue Jackets Notes: Fantilli, Provorov, Forward Depth
There’s no question that the Columbus Blue Jackets have one of the cleanest cap tables in the league, especially for how competitive they’re expected to be in the 2025-26 season. Still, as their younger players continue to age, the Blue Jackets are getting closer to potentially having to make difficult decisions, and their extension negotiations with Adam Fantilli will have a major impact on their salary hierarchy moving forward.
Despite having a somewhat disappointing rookie season, albeit limited by injuries, the third overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft responded well last season, scoring 31 goals and 54 points in 82 games while averaging 17:29 of ice time per game. Fantilli still needs to improve in the faceoff dot and on the defensive side of the puck, but being a 30-goal scorer at 20 years old is nothing to scoff at.
In a recent interview with James Murphy of RG Media, Blue Jackets’ General Manager Don Waddell spoke about the upcoming negotiations with Fantilli, saying, We’re going to talk here in the next couple of weeks. Pat Brisson is his agent, and we’re going to do some face-to-face meetings. When these kinds of players are up and these kinds of deals need to be made, I think you need to be in front of each other. I think you make a lot more progress than just over the phone. So that’s always been my theory, and Pat’s the same way. I’ve done a lot of deals over the years with Pat, so we’ll be fine and sit down face-to-face and get this done. As we get closer to training camp, I think we’ll be much further ahead, and we have some dates already planned that we’ll meet, so let’s go from there.”
There technically shouldn’t be any rush on Columbus’s end, given that Fantilli is a few years away from even becoming arbitration-eligible. Still, for the sake of cost certainty and having one of their core pieces locked up long-term, the Blue Jackets are eyeing a long-term extension with Fantilli in the coming weeks.
Waddell also spoke about a separate extension this offseason. On the eve of free agency this summer, Columbus re-signed defenseman Ivan Provorov to a seven-year, $59.5MM contract, which represented only a $1.75MM yearly increase on his previous deal. Despite reports at the time indicating that Provorov might seek a larger deal on the open market, Waddell explained in the interview that there was no real concern he’d leave the organization.
Murphy quoted Waddell, saying, “Well, the good thing is I was in dialogue regularly with Mark Andler, his agent, and there’s a lot of outside noise, but Mark kept telling me, and Provorov too, that his first choice was to stay here in Columbus.” Waddell explained that although Provorov’s cap hit may seem high, he believes it will look more favorable as the salary cap increases. Additionally, Provorov’s preparation for each season is expected to enhance his longevity throughout the duration of the contract.
Lastly, Waddell touched on his excitement over the depth the Blue Jackets brought in this summer, particularly on offense. The team specifically targeted Charlie Coyle as a right-handed center and believes his leadership skills will prove a boon to the younger players on the roster.
Meanwhile, the team’s General Manager also remarked about the skill level of Miles Wood on the offensive side of the puck and Isac Lundeström‘s skill on the defensive side of the puck. All three additions are expected to maintain important roles for the Blue Jackets this season and help the team return to the postseason for the first time since the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Team Canada Announces Initial World Championship Roster
Hockey Canada has followed up news of their World Championship coaching staff by announcing the first 15 players on their tournament roster. The team is a healthy mix between veteran NHL experience and burgeoning stars. That includes reigning first overall draft pick Macklin Celebrini, who will receive his first chance to join Canada’s Men’s team. Celebrini will operate down a loaded center depth chart, behind NHL stars Bo Horvat and Ryan O’Reilly.
Celebrini is the headliner, but Canada will embrace a major youth movement with this lineup. They’re also bringing young forward Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson, as well as defenseman Ryker Evans. All three players proved their worth as everyday NHL talents this season – Fantilli with a 30-goal season, Johnson with 57 points, and Evans with a routine top-four role in Seattle. Interestingly, the roster does not yet contain 2023 first-overall pick Connor Bedard, who scored eight points in 10 tourney games last summer.
Team Canada has also invited 22-year-old goaltender Dylan Garand – the only invitee to not spend the entire season in the NHL. Garand instead served as the starter for the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, where he managed a .913 save percentage and 20-10-8 record. He’ll likely be the third-string goaltender once Canada adds more experienced pros currently in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Evans’ role on defense will be sheltered by major supports in the form of MacKenzie Weegar, Noah Dobson, Brandon Montour, and Travis Sanheim. All four players are top defensemen for their NHL clubs and collectively form a very experienced blue-line for the international lineup. None of Canada’s first five defense invites were on the World Championship roster last year.
The current roster is as follows:
F Macklin Celebrini (Sharks)
F William Cuylle (Rangers)
F Adam Fantilli (Blue Jackets)
F Tyson Foerster (Flyers)
F Barrett Hayton (Hockey Club)
F Bo Horvat (Islanders)
F Kent Johnson (Blue Jackets)
F Travis Konecny (Flyers)
F Ryan O’Reilly (Predators)
D Noah Dobson (Islanders)
D Ryker Evans (Kraken)
D Brandon Montour (Kraken)
D Travis Sanheim (Flyers)
D MacKenzie Weegar (Flames)
G Dylan Garand (Rangers)
Hockey Canada Releases 2024 World Championship Roster
May 7: Celebrini and Fantilli have returned home from Czechia, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports. The former will participate in tonight’s 2024 NHL Draft Lottery, while Fantilli’s reasons for departing are undisclosed. It’s unclear whether they’ve been removed from the roster entirely. In a corresponding transaction, the team added Kings center Pierre-Luc Dubois and Lightning forwards Brandon Hagel and Nick Paul to the roster.
May 3: Hockey Canada has released its roster of 22 players who will wear the maple leaf at the 2024 World Championship, which begins next week in Ostrava and Prague, Czechia. There are three open spots left to be filled throughout the tournament as more teams are eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Much like the initial World Championship roster that USA Hockey released weeks back, it’s almost completely made up of NHL talent – a rarity for the top-level countries at this tournament recently. The return and promise of future best-on-best international tournaments in the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and the 2026 Winter Olympics has players and front offices looking at this year’s Worlds as a tune-up and initial evaluation for those events.
In fact, the only non-NHL player on Canada’s tournament-opening roster will be in the league next season. That’s presumptive 2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini, who continues his 2023-24 campaign after taking home the Hobey Baker Award for the top collegiate player in his freshman season with Boston University. Their offense is highlighted and led by Blackhawks rookie phenom Connor Bedard and Kraken sniper Jared McCann, while Sabres defenders Bowen Byram and Owen Power highlight the back end. Blues netminder Jordan Binnington is expected to serve as the team’s starter.
The full roster is as follows:
F Connor Bedard (Blackhawks)
F Michael Bunting (Penguins)
F Macklin Celebrini (2024 draft-eligible)
F Dylan Cozens (Sabres)
F Adam Fantilli (Blue Jackets)
F Ridly Greig (Senators)
F Dylan Guenther (NHL Utah)
F Andrew Mangiapane (Flames)
F Jack McBain (NHL Utah)
F Jared McCann (Kraken)
F Dawson Mercer (Devils)
F Brandon Tanev (Kraken)
D Bowen Byram (Sabres)
D Kaiden Guhle (Canadiens)
D Jamie Oleksiak (Kraken)
D Colton Parayko (Blues)
D Owen Power (Sabres)
D Damon Severson (Blue Jackets)
D Olen Zellweger (Ducks)
G Jordan Binnington (Blues)
G Nico Daws (Devils)
G Joel Hofer (Blues)
Evening Notes: Tortorella, Fantilli, Jones, Vlasic
Despite their recent collapse, it doesn’t appear as though the Philadelphia Flyers are planning to make a coaching change to replace John Tortorella anytime soon. This news comes from TSN’s Darren Dreger who reports that Flyers sources have told him that “Torts is not leaving the bench.” The speculation around Tortorella’s job security makes sense given that the team is mired in a 1-6-3 streak in their last ten and are currently chasing a playoff spot after sitting comfortably in third place in the Metropolitan Division just a few short weeks ago.
The Flyers are winless in eight straight games and have looked lost the last month, particularly in their last three games where they have been outscored 19-7 by the Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens. Last night’s 9-3 loss to Montreal was particularly difficult to watch as the Canadiens dominated the Flyers from start to finish which further added to speculation about Tortorella’s future.
In other evening notes:
- Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is reporting that Columbus Blue Jackets forward Adam Fantilli won’t play again this season after suffering a lacerated calf against the Seattle Kraken back on January 28th. While that news isn’t overly surprising given that there are just a handful of games left on the NHL schedule, what is surprising to hear is that the 19-year-old rookie might play for Team Canada at the IIHF World Championships if he is healthy a month from now. Fantilli played for Team Canada last year at the tournament and could return on May 10th if he is at 100 percent. Last year’s third-overall pick will finish his first NHL regular season with 12 goals and 15 assists in 49 games.
- Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that Chicago Blackhawks defensemen Seth Jones and Alex Vlasic will suit up for Team U.S.A. at the IIHF World Championships. The 22-year-old Vlasic hasn’t represented the United States internationally for over five years, last suiting up for the Americans at the U18 World Championship in 2018-19. Jones last suited up internationally two years ago at the World Championships when he captained the Americans to a fourth-place finish.
Adam Fantilli May Not Return This Season
With multiple injuries coming to the top of the 2023 NHL Draft class this season, it appears that Adam Fantilli of the Columbus Blue Jackets may be the only one unable to return this year. In an update from Craig Merz of the NHL, Fantilli’s recovery has been much slower than expected, a reality that could postpone his next matchup until next year.
Fantilli went down with a calf laceration on January 28th, with the original outlook putting him out for about eight weeks. That would have put Fantilli’s return earlier this week on March 25th, a milestone he was unable to hit.
In a quote regarding Fantill’s recovery process, head coach of the Blue Jackets, Pascal Vincent, said, “He’s still working on the recovery. I was really hoping to see him back before the end of the season. We don’t know yet. I still hope, but it’s slower than expected“.
If Fantilli is unable to return for Columbus this season, he will finish the year with 12 goals and 27 points in 49 games for the Blue Jackets. With many draft pundits putting Fantilli as the second-best prospect coming out of the 2023 NHL Draft, Fantilli did not show as much offensive prowess as expected throughout his first season in the NHL.
Nevertheless, there should not be any pessimism surrounding Fantilli’s future health, or his future talent level on the ice. At only 19 years old, the former Hobey Baker Award winner still has plenty of time to become an elite player for the Blue Jackets.