For the second time in franchise history, the Columbus Blue Jackets hold the third overall pick. It’s the first time since 2016 when general manager Jarmo Kekalainen sent a slight gasp through the hockey world picking the feisty francophone Pierre-Luc Dubois.
Kekalainen and company have repeatedly said publicly that they will once again be drafting a “franchise center” with the pick. You would have to imagine they hope it will go better for them than in 2016, although they were able to get a pretty good haul for Dubois. The long-term franchise-altering center is a player that has eluded the Blue Jackets in their quarter century of existence. Without overstating the situation, this is the best opportunity they have ever had to finally find someone to fill that role.
So ahead of the draft, we’ll be taking a look at the top player options in the 2023 Draft class. I will not be including Connor Bedard because it is a foregone conclusion that he will be picked first overall. I will also not be including Russian phenom Matvei Michkov because while he could wind up having the best career out of anyone in this draft class, alas he is not a center. With that said, here are three realistic possibilities for Columbus at third overall.
Leo Carlsson
Alright, let’s jump in with eligible bachelor number one. Leo Carlsson is a center prospect in the mold of Florida Panthers’ captain Aleksander Barkov. He is a two-way pivot with an abundance of skill, and at 6-foot-3 and almost 200 pounds, his frame is going to translate well to the NHL.
Carlsson spent the 2022-23 season with the Swedish Hockey League’s (SHL) Örebro HK. He was exceptional and recorded 10 goals and 25 points through 44 games. All time, his age 18 season stacks up with Washington Capitals pivot Nicklas Backstrom and ahead of other greats Anze Kopitar and Mats Sundin.
On Carlsson, Sportsnet’s Sam Cosentino says, “Carlsson is effective in a number of ways. He skates well and has excellent vision, which identifies him to lean more as a playmaker than shooter. He possesses the poise and patience to slow the game down when required. Carlsson can make plays at pace and shoot the puck well enough to be respected as a scoring option.
“His versatility makes him a solid option, especially if he comes over to play in the NHL right away where the responsibilities at centre may be too much to handle at 19. In any event, he is responsible enough away from the puck where he’s not a liability defensively.”
Carlsson’s Blue Jackets Timeline and Fit
Carlsson could immediately hop into the Blue Jackets’ lineup and make a difference. He is probably the most rounded and versatile player mentioned in this article. His offensive floor isn’t quite as high as the other two options, but he could be the most ready of the three for a big-league job. Next season is possible, but you’d have to imagine he’d be guaranteed to play in the NHL by 2024-25.
With this pick, the Blue Jackets would be getting a player who can play center or wing. So if he’s not quite ready to take a regular job from their flock of centers, he would still be an effective piece off the hop. In the long run, they would be getting more of a two-way or power forward type, who plays a heavy game and helps create space for teammates. He would be a solid complementary piece for their more skill-first players such as Kent Johnson and Johnny Gaudreau.
Adam Fantilli
It’s not too outlandish to say that Adam Fantilli is the Jack Eichel to Bedard’s Connor McDavid. It’s actually a nearly identical situation on paper. Bedard was the top player in the Canadian Hockey League, taking home almost every national award there is. Then there’s Fantilli who was the top player in American college hockey and won the Hobey Baker Award to prove it. He is only the third college freshman to win it, following in the steps of Eichel and Hockey Hall of Famer Paul Kariya. It’s worth noting that he beat out last year’s third-overall pick, Logan Cooley, for the award.
Fantilli had a heck of a season outside of college too, winning two gold medals for Team Canada. He scored five points in seven games as an underaged player at the World Junior Hockey Championship and had three points in the men’s World Championship. It’s not every day that an undrafted player makes the Canadian men’s World Championship team. The last player to do it was former Jackets’ defenseman Ryan Murray just before he was picked second overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
On Fantilli, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler says, “Fantilli is a big, strong, powerful kid who takes pucks from the wall to the interior with force, and ease, and speed. He can beat you along the wall on the cycle. He can beat you carrying the puck in rotations around the perimeter of the offensive zone. He can beat you by pushing through lanes to the middle third, driving the net, or dropping a shoulder to take space that isn’t there. He can beat you flying out wide” (from ‘2023 NHL Draft top 64 prospects: Scott Wheeler’s March ranking’, 3/1/23).
Fantilli’s Blue Jackets Timeline and Fit
The likelihood of a marriage between the Blue Jackets and Fantilli is low. While his size and all-around skill would make him the best option for them at third overall it also makes him a top option for the Anaheim Ducks at second overall. Now if they go off the board and pick either Carlsson or Michkov, as some believe they may, then the Jackets should pounce on Fantilli.
Related: Blue Jackets’ 5 Biggest Draft Busts of All-Time
Despite being on a plateau slightly above the other two, Fantilli is not a lock to play in the NHL right away. He has said that a return to university is not out of the question, and we have seen the University of Michigan hold on to its top-five picks in the past.
As for the fit, Fantilli would be another Michigan alum alongside Nick Blankenburg, Kent Johnson, and Zach Werenski. So the culture checks out. He brings an interesting blend of two-way hockey and high skill. Bleacher Report compares him to Patrice Bergeron in the way he can pounce on a play in the defensive zone and turn it into offense. While it’s an interesting comparison, I’d say that his play skews a little more toward offense than the Boston Bruins captain. However, any bit of Bergeron would be a great pickup for the Jackets at third overall.
Will Smith
Our final eligible bachelor is U.S. National Development Team Program (NDTP) product, Will Smith. No, not the guy who slapped Chris Rock. At 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, this Will Smith is the smallest of the Jackets’ options, but he could very well be the most offensively skilled player in the draft. There are some concerns about his defensive play, but defense can be taught far more easily than offense – and offense is something Smith has in spades.
His time in the U.S. NTDP was among the very best in the program’s history. He scored 50 goals and 127 points through 60 games. For context, that’s the second-highest scoring season in their history exceeding top NHLers Auston Matthews, Jack Hughes, and Cole Caufield. Smith’s draft stock shot up after a dominating performance at the 2023 U18 World Championship, in which he led Team USA to a gold medal. He scored nine goals and 20 points in seven games on a dominant line with fellow 2023 prospects Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard.
On Smith, TSN’s Craig Button says, “His game is so complete. There’s not one area of his game that he falls back in. He can play defense, he can play offense, transition, shoot the puck and score, and make plays. He’s everywhere on the ice. He’s got a big time presence much like Mike Zibanejad of the New York Rangers. And like Zibanejad, he can score in multiple ways. He can score off the one-timer on the powerplay, he can score off the rush. He’s a good penalty killer. His presence in the game is really significant. He wants to be a difference maker and he finds a way to be a difference maker. IQ off the charts.”
Smith’s CBJ Timeline and Fit
Smith is the only option here who is guaranteed to not be wearing Union blue next season as he’s committed to play next season at Boston College. The decision to head to school for a year after being drafted third overall is not a new one. We’ve seen other players make the same call, going back as far as Jonathan Toews in 2006. Another year of seasoning is never a bad thing, especially in a Blue Jackets organization that has a history of rushing players to the NHL.
The fit here is an interesting one because it could stylistically harken back to the 2020 selection of Kent Johnson. They are both incredibly skilled players who are able to break down opposing defenses at will. While their play on the defensive side of the puck leaves a smidge to be desired, they have a quality that few players possess: the ability to bring fans out of their seats at any given time. If the Blue Jackets pick Smith, they’re getting a guy that could blossom into a perennial 80-plus point scorer, who would make the highlight reel between Gaudreau and Laine for the foreseeable future.
Whoever the Blue Jackets pick, you can bet it will be a center, and you can bet it will be the player that Jarmo Kekalainen believes will have the best career overall. Whether that’s Carlsson, Fantilli, or Smith, they will be getting a franchise-altering player. All three have had incredible draft years, unmatched in their own ways, and in any other draft class would have a legitimate shot at going first overall. In the end, there should be no tears from the fifth line after the selection is made later tonight.
