Adam Fantilli: Expect to see him follow in the footsteps of Connor Bedard and Leo Carlsson

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Adam Fantilli: Expect to see him follow in the footsteps of Connor Bedard and Leo Carlsson
Credit: Ben Jackson/Getty Images

On Saturday afternoon, the Blackhawks announced that they had reached an agreement with Connor Bedard, who was still without a contract for the upcoming season.

And Chicago's top prospect broke the bank: he signed a five-year contract… worth $15 million per year.

That said, while the amount made quite an impression, the five-year term was also noteworthy. Just like Leo Carlsson, Bedard signed a deal that bought out only one year of full free agency… and that would lead him to full free agency at the end of the contract.

And as if the summer of 2031 weren't already shaping up to be interesting enough for the top two picks in the 2023 draft, we're also hearing news about the third pick in that draft, Adam Fantilli, who also has no contract in sight for next season.

And according to Aaron Portzline, who discussed this in an article for The Athletic, the most likely scenario is for Fantilli to follow in the footsteps of Bedard and Carlsson by signing a five-year deal.

What's clear is that we don't expect to see Fantilli sign an eight-year deal. Instead, we should expect a five-, six-, or seven-year contract… with a five-year deal being the most likely option.

As for the amount, things seem a bit less clear. Fantilli has just posted seasons of 27 (in 49 games), 54, and 59 points, including a 31-goal year in his second season in the Bettman league.

He's probably not in a position to ask for as much as Bedard's $15 million per year… but he's still likely to walk away with a hefty payday.

We also know that in Columbus, the future of Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko seems uncertain. We expect both players to start next season in Columbus… but we wonder if that will actually last.

With a five-year deal, Fantilli could give himself an exit strategy should the team start to struggle if Werenski and Marchenko end up leaving. And on the other hand, he'd put himself in a good position to cash in big in 2031, just like Bedard and Carlsson.


In a Nutshell

– Hey, Arber!

– Interesting.

– Oh, really?

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