Fantilli signs 6-year, $82.5 million contract to end impasse with Blue Jackets

Adam Fantilli, the 21-year-old center selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets with the No. 3 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, signed a six-year, $82.5 million contract on Thursday, ending an eight-day holdout from training camp. The deal, which runs through the 2031-32 season, carries an average annual value of $13.75 million and includes a $10 million signing bonus. Fantilli, who posted a career-high 59 points in 82 games last season, practiced Friday but will not play in the team's final preseason game against Detroit on Saturday.