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

[MMC]

There's a difference between "locked at center" and "appears to be locked at center".

Well I don't think either applies here

 

[ADHB]

Just because I find this interesting, thought I’d share.

Based on the actual lottery draw, after 3 numbers were drawn, we had a 2 in 11 chance of winning based on the possible outcomes. Chicago, along with 8 other teams, had a 1 in 11 chance.

For the second draw, after the first 3 numbers were drawn, we had a 5 in 10 chance of winning based on the possible outcomes (3 belonged to us, while 2 others belonged to teams that couldn’t jump to 2).

 

[Ducks DVM]

Stories of Adam Fantilli: Marvel fan, warrior, perfectionist, and future Blue Jackets star

The people who've been a part of Adam Fantilli's journey to the cusp of NHL stardom share how he became the player he is today.

theathletic.com

Very good article. For everyone worrying about work ethic :

Adam once asked D’Ammizio what NHL player he compared to and when D’Ammizio answered Mark Messier, he clapped back, “You don’t think I’m very good” because he was unfamiliar with the name.

D’Ammizio laughs when he tells that story, recalling having to explain who Messier was. He saw Messier in how strong Adam always was for his age, in his infectious by-example leadership skills, and in his “undeniable determination.”

He knew that Adam was going to be a hockey player by minor bantam not because of his talent — “he’s never been naturally gifted with a natural skill set, it is something that he has worked at,” he’ll say — but because whenever he was challenged with something negative, he’d do everything within his power to turn it into a positive.

When D’Ammizio told him, “You know, Adam, you’ve got a powerful stride and you can skate fast but you’re not a great skater, you’re not very smooth,” he took it upon himself to reach out to Dawn Braid, one of the game’s preeminent skating coaches, and work until it was one of his biggest strengths.

When D’Ammizio told him, “You know, Adam, you need to improve on your shot, you’re not getting your shot off fast enough, you don’t have a very good one-timer,” Adam responded “OK, no problem,” and has spent every day since shooting pucks and turning his release and one-timer into strengths.

When D’Ammizio told him, “You know, Adam, you’re having success right now because you’re physically stronger than everybody, not because you’re more skilled or smarter, you need to work on being smarter,” Adam responded, “Oh yeah, OK, let’s do video, let’s watch all my games, let’s watch other people.”

“He went to an eye doctor so that he could help his peripheral vision. He’s reading numbers off the screen to help his peripheral vision,” D’Ammizio said, laughing. “And he has done that throughout his life and he’ll continue doing that. He’ll just find a way.”

Asked what “that type of hockey player” is, Catenaro goes to a different legend than the one D’Ammizio does.

“I’d describe him as like an Eric Lindros but maybe even better skilled, and that’s no knock on Eric Lindros, but his skill level is off the charts and he does it at high speed, and he battles. I know the game has changed today and us coaches are getting a little older but we all still really admire a guy that has the ability to score three goals but also does so much more,” he said.

“Like he would knock guys on their ass that were almost two years older than him. He just played like a tank. I can’t say enough about the kid. I think he’s going to be a phenomenal NHLer. I really do.”

When Adam first arrived, there was a lot of one-on-one play — something Adam admits to. What Sheahan learned, though, was that it didn’t come from a place of selfishness.

“He wants to be perfect and no one’s perfect. When he gets into the one-on-one play, he’s trying to do it because he wants to win, he wants to help, he genuinely does,” said Sheahan, who still texts frequently with Adam.

When they told him that he needed to focus on the Steel’s team hockey approach, he did.

“At the junior level, he could just expose guys. No matter what, we always thought that he was going to be a high-level NHL player. But for him to be an elite player at the NHL level, he had to add those layers to his game. And he did, and he worked at it,” Sheahan said. “It didn’t just happen.”

In the end, that’s what Sheahan will remember most about working with him. Not the eight goals that he scored in eight playoff games to help them win the USHL title in his rookie season. None of the team-leading 37 he scored in just 54 games in his second season. But how he grew.

“Adam has matured a lot,” Sheahan said. “I’m really proud of where he’s at as a kid.”

He lauds the way he became a go-to faceoff guy and penalty killer as the season progressed. He can tell you about all the season-saving plays Adam made in Michigan’s run to the Frozen Four, always against the toughest matchups.

But what really makes him different, Muckalt insists, is this: “He can play it in the back alley and he can play it in the front yard.”

“He can play the game any way you want to play it,” Muckalt said. “And he makes plays while doing it. Flat out. He’s a special player. He’s special.”

Muckalt’s not shy about his belief in Adam’s NHL readiness, either.

“This guy is ready to go in and contribute,” Muckalt said. “He might be ahead of where Matty Beniers was after his sophomore season and (Beniers is) going to win the Calder Trophy.”

When Dawn Braid fielded her first call from Adam Fantilli, she was surprised that it was a 14-year-old, and not his parents, who was making it.

In their five years working together since, it has always been him who has scheduled all of their many skates together.

During his AAA days, he’d call in May as soon as the season was over. After his season at Kimball Union, he’d contact her. Even through the pandemic, when restrictions made skates difficult and Adam and Luca went to Chicago and Michigan to train, he’d find a Friday or a Saturday to come home so that he could organize ice with the Braids (Dawn’s son, MacKenzie, took over most of the work with Adam and Luca in the last two summers).

She never trained him like she’d train a minor hockey player, or even a junior one, either. When Dawn or MacKenzie would break down his angles, edges and crossovers, or how he was coming out of turns, they’d talk to him like they’d coach an NHL client. In June, she and Mackenzie will get to celebrate him officially becoming one when they travel to the draft with the Fantillis — an invite that means a lot to them both.

“From the beginning, he came in and he had an amazing attitude. He knew he was already a strong skater but he didn’t say, ‘I don’t really need this, I’m already a good skater,’ he only looked to get better and came in with a plan,” she said.

In time, Adam’s strong skating became “elite skating” because of that plan.

 

[ohcomeonref]

Stories of Adam Fantilli: Marvel fan, warrior, perfectionist, and future Blue Jackets star

The people who've been a part of Adam Fantilli's journey to the cusp of NHL stardom share how he became the player he is today.

theathletic.com

Very good article. For everyone worrying about work ethic :

Oh my Lord, I hope he's our guy.

 

[DuckDuckGetz]

This is a joke right?

A pretty unimportant joke that you had to bring it up as a point of reference. And then bring up many Swedes that have been acquired by Murray after citing "a pretty unimportant joke about Bob Murray having a preference for Swedish players" make me think you've got a hang up on Murray.

What? lol

I liked almost all of those Swedish players. I have jerseys for several of them.

I have no problem with Murray liking Swedish players. My original joke is that he would have picked Leo because of his preference for Swedish players. I'm sure he appreciates you defending his honor, though.

 

[Mr Rogers]

I know he plays nothing like Spezza, but he gives me some similar vibes. domination at lower levels, coming from a tight-knit Italian family in Ontario who is gonna be drafted 2nd overall in all likelihood. I think he is going to have big career whether it's with us or Columbus.

 

[Ducks DVM]

Oh my Lord, I hope he's our guy.

That was exactly my take after reading this.

 

[Dryish]

Stories of Adam Fantilli: Marvel fan, warrior, perfectionist, and future Blue Jackets star

The people who've been a part of Adam Fantilli's journey to the cusp of NHL stardom share how he became the player he is today.

theathletic.com

Very good article. For everyone worrying about work ethic :

God damn it, now I'm going to be extra salty when they end up picking Carlsson. Or worse yet, Michkov.

 

[Rybread86]

God damn it, now I'm going to be extra salty when they end up picking Carlsson. Or worse yet, Michkov.

If they pick Michkov, I'm out. That has disaster written all over it and way too high of a rick for a top 3 pick.

 

[Vipers31]

Between that and an interview somebody linked (in which he also talked about him getting getting public speaking coaching) I don’t just think he’d be a great character fit with our core, I’m pretty sure he’s going to interview extremely well. So if we still don’t end up drafting him, they’d have to have some serious reservations about his upside compared to whoever we would end up picking. But yeah, it’s hard not rooting for him a little over this.

 

[enviro61]

As a Canucks fan, I'm jelly as hell. We miss the playoffs every year and can't sniff a top 3 pick. Sure, you didnt get #1 overall but I'd give my left nut for #2....chin up...future is bright here

 

[Kariya 9]

If they pick Michkov, I'm out. That has disaster written all over it and way too high of a rick for a top 3 pick.

If they do pick Michkov, you'd have to think it would be because Verbeek gets a confirmation from him that he is coming over here. He doesn't really fit our timeline, though. He fits better with the Sharks, who are in year two of their rebuild, rather than year four of five like we are.

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

Stories of Adam Fantilli: Marvel fan, warrior, perfectionist, and future Blue Jackets star

The people who've been a part of Adam Fantilli's journey to the cusp of NHL stardom share how he became the player he is today.

theathletic.com

Very good article. For everyone worrying about work ethic :

Connor who?

 

[crowi]

As a Canucks fan, I'm jelly as hell. We miss the playoffs every year and can't sniff a top 3 pick. Sure, you didnt get #1 overall but I'd give my left nut for #2....chin up...future is bright here

You can blame Benning and your owner for that. Do that on your own forum please. In fact, it's a terrible idea to go to another team's board to tell them IT'S FINE, when they've lost 1st overall.

It's perfectly fine to be distraught getting #2 pick.

 

[Boo Boo]

As a Canucks fan, I'm jelly as hell. We miss the playoffs every year and can't sniff a top 3 pick. Sure, you didnt get #1 overall but I'd give my left nut for #2....chin up...future is bright here

Thanks ! If we couldn’t get the first pick the Canucks were one of the few teams I was hoping for.

 

[ScarTroy]

You can blame Benning and your owner for that. Do that on your own forum please. In fact, it's a terrible idea to go to another team's board to tell them IT'S FINE, when they've lost 1st overall.

It's perfectly fine to be distraught getting #2 pick.

Honestly nothing wrong with what he said, we don’t have to be rude just because we’re feeling sorry for ourselves…

 

[crowi]

Honestly nothing wrong with what he said, we don’t have to be rude just because we’re feeling sorry for ourselves…

Eh, I guess. Saying "they miss the playoffs every year", when they spend to the cap every year, have gone for it every year for 10 years, then complain about picking 11th is not something I care to read tho.

 

[Kalv]

Stories of Adam Fantilli: Marvel fan, warrior, perfectionist, and future Blue Jackets star

The people who've been a part of Adam Fantilli's journey to the cusp of NHL stardom share how he became the player he is today.

theathletic.com

Very good article. For everyone worrying about work ethic :

Man... that sure was a nice read. We need a guy like that

 

[MMC]

 

[Lord Flashheart]

EDIT: Gawd damn it, there's no beating you MMC, truly a generational talent.

 

[All Mighty]

Canada played Hungary in an exhibition game today. Fantilli played on the wing with Jack McBain and Michael Carcone (both Coyotes' players). Fantilli did not get a point, but this happened. Canada's next game is the tournament opener on Friday, May 12.

 

[Terry Yake]

i think this tournament will basically decide who the ducks take at #2

if fantilli has a similar performance to his WJC and carlsson puts up better numbers, i expect carlsson to be the pick

 

[TheStuntman]

EDIT: Gawd damn it, there's no beating you MMC, truly a generational talent.

I have to wonder if MMC is a real person or not.

 

[DuckDuckGetz]

How angry would people be if we took Michkov but then took a swing at a big name player like Marner

 

[ohcomeonref]

How angry would people be if we took Michkov but then took a swing at a big name player like Marner

If we take Michkov I'm assuming they know something we don't and the interview process went VERY well.