Prospect Info: 2023 NHL Draft - Part 2 (Who Do You Want To Draft At #2)

[Hockey Duckie]

33. 6'3 PF Halttunen. Doesn't turn 18 until June. He probably drops because he wasn't productive at the Liiga level, but dynamic against his peer age at U20 and WJC-18. The offense was present in the 2nd Finnish league, Mestis, but a small sample. We may have to take with Halttunen b/c HIFK shouldn't have brought him up to Liiga level this past season or should have returned him far sooner.
59. 6'3 PF Nelson and 203 lbs. Committed to ND in '24-25. A defenseman turned forward.

60. 6'3 D Gibson. Plays physical and was on team Canada's WJC-18 team.

65. 6'2 LW Suniev and 205 lbs. Committed to UMass. BCHL scorer.

 

[gunnergunther]

yes, let's draft the Gibson and Fowler kids with our 3rds to keep the names alive for another generation of fans.

 

[CrazyDuck4u]

The more I think about. The more I like fantilli

 

[CrazyDuck4u]

 

[CrazyDuck4u]

Adam Fantilli - 2023 NHL Draft Prospect Profile - The Hockey Writers NHL Entry Draft Latest News, Analysis & More

In a 2023 NHL Draft class with Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli is doing his best to usurp him as the projected first overall pick.

thehockeywriters.com

 

[Masch78]

In between Fantilli and Carlsson I'd fully go Fantilli. Yesterday I thought about a

Jones/Lundestrom - Fantilli - MacT line

 

[gilfaizon]

In between Fantilli and Carlsson I'd fully go Fantilli. Yesterday I thought about a

Jones/Lundestrom - Fantilli - MacT line

We need to do better for Fantilli/MacT than Jones/Lundy.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

In between Fantilli and Carlsson I'd fully go Fantilli. Yesterday I thought about a

Jones/Lundestrom - Fantilli - MacT line

Lundestrom and Fantilli as PK forward group would be deadly with Shorthanded opportunitys.

 

[Gliff]

In between Fantilli and Carlsson I'd fully go Fantilli. Yesterday I thought about a

Jones/Lundestrom - Fantilli - MacT line

If jones is anywhere near the top 6 next year we f***ing riot.

Jones has no business being in a scoring line.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

Where would Adam Fantilli be drafted (past 5 NHL Drafts)?

Where would Adam Fantilli have been selected in the previous five NHL Drafts, considering the level of anticipation and attention garnered by the players chosen in those particular years?

forums.hfboards.com

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Adam Fantilli - 2023 NHL Draft Prospect Profile - The Hockey Writers NHL Entry Draft Latest News, Analysis & More

In a 2023 NHL Draft class with Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli is doing his best to usurp him as the projected first overall pick.

thehockeywriters.com

Lundestrom and Fantilli as PK forward group would be deadly with Shorthanded opportunitys.

From the aforementioned Hockey Writers Fantilli scouting report, March 8, 2023:

Now, Fantilli isn’t perfect. He still has to work on his defensive game – like all players do – and his shot isn’t as accurate as Bedard’s. He also has a tendency to try and do everything himself instead of using his linemates. But those weaknesses can be ironed out with time and development.​

Fantilli's elite skating and high compete level are shiny bright things that mask some of his weaknesses. He can dominate bad teams, but against stronger competition, it gets throttled down.

From the Athletic, a scout on Fantilli:

Scout 1: For Fantilli, he was above expectations for me this season. And not that I thought his transition wasn’t going to be successful, I just didn’t see a Hobey Baker.​

That (disappointing) world juniors was the outlier. The body, the speed, the compete (are excellent). I know he had awesome production but I think that came more from his compete level than his hockey sense, but that’s not going to hurt him. He has a similar game at the same age and probably a little better than (Quinton) Byfield.​

I'd prefer Fantilli work on his weaknesses in an established environment back in Michigan. He knows he can outskate and out-compete everyone, but he can focus more on skill development and working within a system (team play) in year 2 of the same program. Also, being in an NCAA program, he can continue to build on his body to become even more durable for an NHL 82-game season or more.

Prospects that stayed in Michigan for two seasons:

• From the 2021 draft
  • 1st OA. D Power: 2020-22
  • 2nd OA. C Beniers: 2020-22
  • 4th OA. D L. Hughes: 2021-23
  • 5th OA. LW Johnson: 2020-22

• From the 2022 draft
  • 14th OA. C McGroarty: 2022 - 24 (will return to Michigan)

Anaheim isn't going to be playoff bound next year after finishing with the worst record. The Gulls also finished with the worst record in the AHL, by 20 points! We should let Fantilli develop at Michigan for another season so we can a more refined player when he gets to the NHL level.

 

[TopShelfWaterBottle]

Give him couple games then send him to SD GULLS if he needs it

 

[KaseMeOutside]

I want a heavy forward draft. You have organizational depth on defense, this is one way to utilize it...take some swings upfront

 

[Dirk316]

I want a heavy forward draft. You have organizational depth on defense, this is one way to utilize it...take some swings upfront

Huge lack of physical tough Dmen I'd like but don't expect Verbeek to address this

 

[GreatBear]

Huge lack of physical tough Dmen I'd like but don't expect Verbeek to address this

I don't disagree with you, but it all depends upon what is available for the Ducks in the draft when they make their pick. Certainly pick #2 needs to be one of the top forwards. Would you be happy if with later picks he at least drafted a physically tough forward or two?

 

[DaGeneral]

I don't disagree with you, but it all depends upon what is available for the Ducks in the draft when they make their pick. Certainly pick #2 needs to be one of the top forwards. Would you be happy if with later picks he at least drafted a physically tough forward or two?

Dirk will only be happy when we ice a team of enforcers.

 

[Dirk316]

I don't disagree with you, but it all depends upon what is available for the Ducks in the draft when they make their pick. Certainly pick #2 needs to be one of the top forwards. Would you be happy if with later picks he at least drafted a physically tough forward or two?

Id hope so and not another big soft forward. Obviously #2 pick will be a forward but after I'd hope a mix of skill forwards, tough power forwards and physical dmen. No more offensive D

 

[Ducks]

Dirk's Dream Lineup:

F
Eric Lindros - Eric Lindros - Eric Lindros
Eric Lindros - Eric Lindros - Eric Lindros
Eric Lindros - Eric Lindros - Eric Lindros
Eric Lindros - Eric Lindros - Eric Lindros

D
Chris Pronger - Chris Pronger
Chris Pronger - Chris Pronger
Chris Pronger - Chris Pronger

G
Ron Hextall

I mean, honestly... That team is going to win some games (and get lots of suspensions).

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Huge lack of physical tough Dmen I'd like but don't expect Verbeek to address this

• Manson Physicality in our system
  • 6'3, 203 lbs LD Benoit
  • 6'5, 225 lbs RD Warren

• Lindholm Physicality in our system
  • 6'3, 188 lbs LD/RD Hinds
  • 6'2, 201 lbs LD/RD LaCombe
  • maybe 6'3, 185 lbs RD Moore (He has been identified as a shutdown D)

With our 60th or 65th pick, we can try to go after 6'3, 198 lbs RD Andrew Gibson.

Anaheim has great depth on defense, but we're lacking top-6 scoring in our system. Rico won't be around for too long and he's not only got top-6 scoring, but good defensively compared to the rest of our forward group. We could have went top-6 scoring with our 22nd pick last year, but we opted for the physical player in Gaucher.

Our 2022 fifth round pick, Hvidston, was known as a shutdown D who gets into fights. Welp, he started scoring in bunches. Then in the off-season, Verbeek went and got more pugilists in forwards Wiebe and Caulfield.

Anyhow, here's who I want in the 2nd round and our 65th pick:

33. 6'3 PF Halttunen. Doesn't turn 18 until June. He probably drops because he wasn't productive at the Liiga level, but dynamic against his peer age at U20 and WJC-18. The offense was present in the 2nd Finnish league, Mestis, but a small sample. We may have to take with Halttunen b/c HIFK shouldn't have brought him up to Liiga level this past season or should have returned him far sooner.
59. 6'3 PF Nelson and 203 lbs. Committed to ND in '24-25. A defenseman turned forward.

60. 6'3 D Gibson. Plays physical and was on team Canada's WJC-18 team.

65. 6'2 LW Suniev and 205 lbs. Committed to UMass. BCHL scorer.

Surprised you didn't see my list of tall trees being drafted: two power forward types, a physical D, and a tall scorer from a weaker league.

 

[HunterDuck]

What’s Fantili’s nickname?

It’s gotta be The Fantom.

 

[forever1922]

I think it has to come from italian. His parents have the most italian names ever, Giuliano and Julia, also brother Luca. Like come on, it has to be the Adamo Fantilli.

 

[ADHB]

I think it has to come from italian. His parents have the most italian names ever, Giuliano and Julia, also brother Luca. Like come on, it has to be the Adamo Fantilli.

Isn't Adamo his actual name?

 

[forever1922]

Isn't Adamo his actual name?

Actually, I think so. Never heard that name in italian but it's certainly possible, some early sites refer to him as Adamo.

 

[forever1922]

Leo Carlsson
3GP, 15:09 ATOI, Total 45
1G + 0A = 1P, +1, 4 SOG
Linemates Lucas Raymond - Alexander Nylander all three games
Games vs Germany, Austria, Finland

Adam Fantilli
4GP, 12:07 ATOI, Total 48:31
0G + 2A = 2P, +2, 9 SOG
Linemates include most of Canadas forwards, Carcone, Lucic, Toffoli, Laughton, McBain, Crouse, Bear
Games vs Latvia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Kazakhstan

Carlsson faced clearly greater competition with far more consistent linemates and minutes. Fantilli ranks 6th in SOG despite playing spme of the fewest minutes on Canada and Carlsson continues to play high in the lineup as I imagine his coach depends on his 2-way play.

 

[Lord Flashheart]

Carlsson would still be my pick. Playing, succesfully, for almost 2 whole seasons in a pro league of SHL level is nothing to sneeze at, in fact it's a pretty special thing.