The Columbus Blue Jackets will be without star rookie Adam Fantilli for two months after he suffered a cut on his left leg in Sunday's game against the Seattle Kraken. On Wednesday, the Blue Jackets announced that Fantilli will miss eight weeks with a calf laceration.
During the second period of the game at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Fantilli went down the tunnel following a collision with Kraken forward Jared McCann. On the replay, it's clear that the players' legs get tangled up on a hit, and McCann's left skate blade catches the back of Fantilli's left leg.
Fantilli was able to skate off the ice under his own power, but he had a clear limp all the way down the tunnel.
Fantilli went down the tunnel after this play pic.twitter.com/CFFmfK7ZDO
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) January 29, 2024
The No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, Fantilli has given Blue Jackets fans a lot to get excited about through 49 goals. His 12 goals are tied for third among rookies, and he ranks fourth in points with 27.
This injury will halt Fantilli's development, and it'll be interesting to see how the Blue Jackets handle him down the stretch. Assuming the eight-week timeline holds, Columbus will only have 10 games left when Fantilli returns on Mar. 27. If that is the case, would the team consider shutting him down for the season?
The Blue Jackets' roster was already without one of its biggest stars after Patrik Laine entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program on Monday. Laine will be out indefinitely while he deals with mental health issues.
