CBJ goalie
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Interesting little story about Fantilli and his usage so far;
The “rookie wall” is a real phenomenon.
Be it NCAA grads, Canadian juniors or European pros making the leap to the show, no young player is fully prepared for the NHL’s 82-game gauntlet, with its relentless travel schedule and limited breath-catching breaks.
An assistant coach for years, Columbus bench boss Pascal Vincent has seen many a freshman lose energy around the all-star break.
Vincent is betting teenager Adam Fantilli can be an exception, however.
“Because of his maturity and he’s physically strong already,” Vincent said, “I don’t know if he’s going to hit that wall.”
To help the franchise’s prized centreman hurdle that wall, to ease the mental toll of the grind, Vincent tries to put Fantilli in positions to succeed. That means sheltering him from the opposition’s top line or throwing him out for offensive-zone draws.
“We feel very fortunate to have him. Obviously, when you get those guys, it’s because your season wasn’t so good. But the bright side is, he’s one of us now. The young man is a powerful man as far as his physical abilities, but the one thing we don’t talk about enough is his mental strength,” Vincent said.
“He’s a very mature young man. Any he’s got this swagger. Like, he’s got this confidence — and not in the negative way whatsoever. He’s a very positive force, carrying this confidence that he can play at this level and be a difference-maker already. And he’s done it.
“He’s like a sponge — just really coachable. So, he’s a big component of our future and our present right now. He’s been adjusting really well.”
Fantilli himself said the nonstop travel has been the greatest challenge.
Ranked second in rookie scoring, Fantilli had a blast living with Patrik Laine for the first couple weeks and has gone for dinners with his more-seasoned teammates, picking the brains of the team’s veterans — Zach Werenski, Sean Kuraly, Erik Gudbranson — for advice on how to best take care of his body
www.sportsnet.ca
The “rookie wall” is a real phenomenon.
Be it NCAA grads, Canadian juniors or European pros making the leap to the show, no young player is fully prepared for the NHL’s 82-game gauntlet, with its relentless travel schedule and limited breath-catching breaks.
An assistant coach for years, Columbus bench boss Pascal Vincent has seen many a freshman lose energy around the all-star break.
Vincent is betting teenager Adam Fantilli can be an exception, however.
“Because of his maturity and he’s physically strong already,” Vincent said, “I don’t know if he’s going to hit that wall.”
To help the franchise’s prized centreman hurdle that wall, to ease the mental toll of the grind, Vincent tries to put Fantilli in positions to succeed. That means sheltering him from the opposition’s top line or throwing him out for offensive-zone draws.
“We feel very fortunate to have him. Obviously, when you get those guys, it’s because your season wasn’t so good. But the bright side is, he’s one of us now. The young man is a powerful man as far as his physical abilities, but the one thing we don’t talk about enough is his mental strength,” Vincent said.
“He’s a very mature young man. Any he’s got this swagger. Like, he’s got this confidence — and not in the negative way whatsoever. He’s a very positive force, carrying this confidence that he can play at this level and be a difference-maker already. And he’s done it.
“He’s like a sponge — just really coachable. So, he’s a big component of our future and our present right now. He’s been adjusting really well.”
Fantilli himself said the nonstop travel has been the greatest challenge.
Ranked second in rookie scoring, Fantilli had a blast living with Patrik Laine for the first couple weeks and has gone for dinners with his more-seasoned teammates, picking the brains of the team’s veterans — Zach Werenski, Sean Kuraly, Erik Gudbranson — for advice on how to best take care of his body
Quick Shifts: Maple Leafs' options to solve their goaltending woes
In this week's Quick Shifts, Luke Fox covers the Maple Leafs' options to fix their Ilya Samsonov issue, Blake Wheeler and Jacob Trouba reversing roles, why Rod Brind'Amour should be re-signed already, Adam Fantilli vs. The Rookie Wall, why save rates keep dropping and seven other NHL goodies.
