The St. Louis Blues made quite a number of moves this offseason. Several should have serious roster implications--like sending Jordan Kyrou to the Washington Capitals and acquiring Mason McTavish from the Anaheim Ducks--and it may ultimately not be enough to be a competitive team. Put simply, the Blues need more star power, or they risk getting stuck in the NHL's mushy middle: not good enough to contend for a Stanley Cup, nor bad enough to pick at the top of the draft.
Getting that sort of young star power the Blues lack is one of the hardest things to do in the NHL. We saw the Philadelphia Flyers try to accomplish it with a stunning offer sheet that was inevitably matched, and last year's trade for Quinn Hughes involved a staggering number of high-value prospects and picks. With the start of the NHL season just around the corner, there aren't many options available to the Blues--though one RFA's contract situation coming down to the wire could be an opportunity (and we've written previously about a second RFA the Blues should be eyeing).
Adam Fantilli contract negotations "very slow"
An anonymous source told insider Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic that the talks between Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell and Fantilli's agent Pat Brisson are "very slow." In an interview with Columbus's beat writer, Waddell said the two sides are still talking, but that they're "not there yet."
The Blue Jackets have had a rough offseason already, with both Cole Sillinger and Jet Greaves electing for arbitration. Both players did sign before their arbitration hearings, but Greaves's contract was done with minutes to spare. Add in Kirill Marchenko indicating he won't be re-signing in Columbus and Zach Werenski nearly being traded to the Dallas Stars; Fantilli's lack of a contract is another glaring issue for the franchise.
What it could mean for the Blues
Yes, the Blues just traded for McTavish--we haven't even seen him suit up for the team yet! Fantilli, though, is a young player with far more upside and fewer questions about his shortcomings. If Fantilli hits his ceiling, he could supplant Robert Thomas atop the roster; they're very different players, but that would be a dynamic top-six center duo.
Training camps are starting this week all around the NHL, and it's looking like Fantilli will probably miss the first couple of days. If negotiations drag on and he misses more time, then there's a real opportunity for the Blue Jackets and Fantilli to part ways-though perhaps not immediately.
We need look no further than McTavish: he missed training camp due to contract negotiations, had a down season, and was promptly traded. Two other former-Ducks--Jamie Drysdale and Trevor Zegras--went through the same thing, and now both are on the Flyers. In Columbus, the same thing happened over a decade ago with Ryan Johansen, and the relationship was never the same. When players miss camp due to contract disputes, it usually creates a rift between the team and the player that never fully heals.
The Blues have a stocked cupboard of young prospects, plus all their premium draft capital. If a Fantilli trade does come down the pipeline, they have the parts necessary to be involved. It would be a huge boost for their lineup.
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