Gilbert Brule, Derick Brassard, Ryan Johansen, Alexander Wennberg, and Pierre-Luc Dubois have all been drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in an attempt to fill their eternal hole of a franchise-level center. It appears that they’ve finally found what they’ve been looking for the entire life of the organization.
Following the Anaheim Ducks’ selection of Leo Carlsson at second overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, the Blue Jackets were able to get Adam Fantilli who was been seen by many as the consolation prize for whoever was the runner-up in the “Connor Bedard sweepstakes”. If there wasn’t a generational-level talent at the top of the rankings, Fantilli would have been under consideration for the first overall pick in a majority of drafts. Much of the talk prior to the draft was debating over if the Blue Jackets would choose the previously mentioned Carlsson or Will Smith who ended up going one pick later, simply because nobody truly expected Fantilli to be available when Jarmo Kekalainen and his staff took the stage.
Fantilli’s Plans for Next Season
Fantilli still has yet to confirm his plans for the upcoming season. There’s a chance he returns to the University of Michigan in the NCAA; however, if he does decide to sign his entry-level contract, then he’ll almost certainly make the Blue Jackets roster on opening night. It’s unknown how Mike Babcock will decide to run the lines when he gets behind the bench, but it seems highly likely that he’ll give Fantilli some time between Patrik Laine and Johnny Gaudreau at some point in his rookie season.
A key factor for Fantilli is that there are no doubts about his ability to play center at the NHL level, which is a major difference from many of the Blue Jackets’ previous picks. As a result, the ball is fully in his court at this point and when he’s ready to make the jump to the professional game, there’s almost no doubt that he’ll be able to do so. If he does make the jump, I would expect him to put up between 40 and 50 points in his rookie season which would certainly be massively beneficial to the team.
Related: Columbus Blue Jackets Draft Adam Fantilli 3rd Overall
Logically, it seems like the perfect time to make the move to the NHL. Fantilli was the NCAA scoring leader in his freshman year at a pace of nearly two points per game and almost both a goal and assist per game. Second place was the third overall pick in 2022, Logan Cooley, who was in his sophomore season. All of this essentially means that he has nothing left to prove at that level, even though it’s only been a single season. In terms of development, it would be best for him to play in either the NHL or American Hockey League, but it’s almost certain that he’d immediately suit up for the Blue Jackets rather than the Cleveland Monsters if he signs. Not only would he likely be a regular on Columbus’ roster, but it would also be very surprising if he wasn’t receiving high levels of ice time at both even strength and special teams situations.
The only reason it would make sense for him to return to Michigan is if he believes they can win a National Championship, which would be quite an accomplishment for him and his brother Luca. In a way, the loyalty of this decision would be a good sign for Columbus, as he’d show that he’s committed to winning rather than making the easy decision to go professional. The Wolverines will be losing a key player in Luke Hughes who has signed with the New Jersey Devils, and they may take a few more if they sign Seamus Casey and/or Ethan Edwards. As a result, the odds of a championship are likely to decrease for the 2023-24 season; therefore the NHL seems like the best place for Fantilli regardless.
Long-Term Future for Fantilli
Fantilli will likely be a Blue Jacket for a long time, as he’s the biggest prospect they’ve had since franchise legend Rick Nash was selected in 2002. While it’s certainly too early to say, there’s definitely a chance that he’ll end up becoming a legend of the franchise himself in the long run, and he could even go down as the greatest draft pick in the organization’s history when all is said and done. The Blue Jackets will expect him to be their first-line center for the foreseeable future and even as early as this season if he’s ready. He’s been compared to Jack Eichel in multiple ways and Columbus will certainly be happy if they get the same level of production out of Fantilli. He’s shown signs of leadership and appears to have a good attitude, so he’s the type of player who may end up being captain material down the line as well.
Of course, these are all best-case scenarios and a high selection in the draft doesn’t guarantee success. There will still need to be a lot of hard work and perseverance for him to reach his potential, however, it’s more likely than not that he’ll become a very good NHL player for a long time. He’ll be racking up goals and assists while also providing a strong two-way game at the same time. There are still a lot of questions that will be bouncing around this offseason until either Kekalainen or Fantilli himself give us some answers; however, it’s certainly an exciting time for the Blue Jackets and their fans.