Full highlights of Adam Fantilli’s first 10 games in the NHL.
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In any other year, Adam Fantilli is a sure-fire 1st overall pick and the best prospect in years. In 2023, he went 3rd overall. You’d have to go back longer than most memories to see such a phenomenon.
When the Columbus Blue Jackets drafted Adam Fantilli, they got a tall 1st line centre with deft puck skills and a great shot release. They got a player who thinks the game clinically and at high speed. And they got a fast player; not just quick, but fast. Not since Connor McDavid entered the league has a player with Fantilli’s speed emerged. And like McDavid, his wits match his tempo, and he can maintain puck control at top speed.
Prior to entering the 2023 NHL Draft, Fantilli produced 65 points in 36 games for the Michigan Wolverines, and became only the 3rd freshman to win the Hobey Baker Award as the best player in college hockey. The others? Jack Eichel and Steve Kariya’s brother, Paul; superstars both.
But when all is said and done, how will Fantilli’s career measure up to the likes of his fellow draftees, Connor Bedard, Leo Carlsson, and Matvei Michkov? That’s very much an open question, and one likely to be answered more by injuries and luck than actual superiority in the game of hockey. All four are tremendously gifted, yet each possess their own unique abilities.
In the midst of all the uncertainty, though, a bold claim can be made: Adam Fantilli is likely the player most well-suited to play in Columbus and gel with their team. He’s the made-to-order, charismatic leader who just might whip that ragtag gang of curiosities into a legitimate NHL threat.