F Adam Fantilli - Univ. of Michigan, NCAA (2023 Draft)

[rahad]

Yeah I mean if Sid was an inch shorter there goes the hall of fame career. Really lucky that.

Funny... Pretty sure he is around 5ft9. . Can you name a single franchise 5ft9 center in the nhl in the last 10 years...

Slafkovsky has 6ft4 before the draft. Same for Shane wright as 6ft1. They always put Juniors player a little bit taller. At the end of day, it still a probability he end up as a winger in the nhl.

 

[57special]

Adam Fantilli would be #1 in any other draft but he benefits massively from being on a prolific program that has, at near minimum, half of an American WJC team baked in. He routinely plays with players who will make him better irrespective of what little the metrics we have say. It is not degrading to Fantilli to say he's the second best prospect in the draft, and I would be insanely curious to see what our opinions of both look like if Bedard was on the team and Fantilli was on the Pats to gauge how much noise comes from both of their environments.

You are way overrating the Michigan team. Beniers is gone, Power is gone, Johnson, Bordelau, Brisson are gone, as well as nice depth players like Patujov and Beecher. Their best player is a Dman, Hughes. Samoskevich and McGroarty are nice players, but hardly dominant. If anyone is being propped up, it's the 2022-23 MI team by Fantilli.

MI is not a dominant team at this point. They are a strong'ish team, that is ranked 7-8 in the country, and 3rd in the B10, after MN and Penn State.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Funny... Pretty sure he is around 5ft9. . Can you name a single franchise 5ft9 center in the nhl in the last 10 years...

Slafkovsky has 6ft4 before the draft. Same for Shane wright as 6ft1. They always put Juniors player a little bit taller. At the end of day, it still a probability he end up as a winger in the nhl.

No he will be a center.

 

[bigdog16]

I’m starting to have this kid over Bedard. I think both will have amazing careers but I’m more confident than Fantilli will do it at centre. I think there’s a chance Bedard gets move to the wing.

I am coming out and saying this officially for the first time so I’m on record:

***i would select Fantilli over Bedard***

This kid is that good. He ticks every single box. Every one. And I think in 3 years he will already be a top 10 centre in the league and at his peak he is top 5 maybe only behind mcdavid, mackinnon and Matthews. I have him right after

Overthinking it way too much. People did the same with Kakko and Hughes. And there is a way bigger gap between Bedard and Fantilli than Kakko and Hughes predraft.

Fantilli is a great prospect and projects favorably to the NHL. But people do need to lower expectations. He is not even close to being in the same tier as Eichel as a prospect. People forget how dominant Eichel was on a garbage BU team. He single handidly brought them to the National Championship game. And they would have won if their goalie didn’t throw the game due to gambling debt

 

[NewEraGM]

Overthinking it way too much. People did the same with Kakko and Hughes. And there is a way bigger gap between Bedard and Fantilli than Kakko and Hughes predraft.

Fantilli is a great prospect and projects favorably to the NHL. But people do need to lower expectations. He is not even close to being in the same tier as Eichel as a prospect. People forget how dominant Eichel was on a garbage BU team. He single handidly brought them to the National Championship game. And they would have won if their goalie didn’t throw the game due to gambling debt

Yea I’m pretty sure Fantilli “projects favourably to the NHL”……

 

[Just Linda]

I’m starting to have this kid over Bedard. I think both will have amazing careers but I’m more confident than Fantilli will do it at centre. I think there’s a chance Bedard gets move to the wing.

I am coming out and saying this officially for the first time so I’m on record:

***i would select Fantilli over Bedard***

This kid is that good. He ticks every single box. Every one. And I think in 3 years he will already be a top 10 centre in the league and at his peak he is top 5 maybe only behind mcdavid, mackinnon and Matthews. I have him right after

Your not the only one.

I'd take him first too, I'm hearing it more and more. Pronman said at one point it was 1/4 of scouts, I wouldn't be surprised if it's close to 50/50 by the draft.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

College production in draft year;

Eichel 40gp 71pts.

Fantilli on pace for 65 pts in 40gp.(26pts. in 16gp).


There is still a lot of hockey to be played, but it's something to watch. If Fantilli equals Eichel's output, or near enough, is he his equal as a prospect? They seem a lot more alike than they are different.

He’s a lot more similar to Beniers than Eichel.

Eichel has more offensive talent and is looking to control the game with his offensive talent.

Fantilli is offensively talented, but he doesn’t play too similar to Eichel. Their mindset is a little different. Fantilli is looking to be a good player in all zones, including a good offensive player, but he doesn’t take over shifts the way Eichel can do with his vision, puck handling, and skating.

Hard to explain it, but when I watch them I see a lot more of what Beniers is trying to accomplish than Eichel.

It’s like if someone was comparing Barzal to McDavid. Sure, there are some basic similarities, but there are also things missing in the details of the comparison.

 

[MichaelFarrell]

He’s a lot more similar to Beniers than Eichel.

Eichel has more offensive talent and is looking to control the game with his offensive talent.

Fantilli is offensively talented, but he doesn’t play too similar to Eichel. Their mindset is a little different. Fantilli is looking to be a good player in all zones, including a good offensive player, but he doesn’t take over shifts the way Eichel can do with his vision, puck handling, and skating.

Hard to explain it, but when I watch them I see a lot more of what Beniers is trying to accomplish than Eichel.

It’s like if someone was comparing Barzal to McDavid. Sure, there are some basic similarities, but there are also things missing in the details of the comparison.

I’d also like to add the Fantilli’s points are absolutely inflated from playing god awful teams in the beginning while having the most stacked team in the NCAA. He’s truly a point per game player in the NCAA which is still great. But, he’s not close to Eichel’s freshman season at BU. Eichel didn’t play with a single first round pick and absolutely dominated.

Beniers and Fantilli play similar two-way games but are not all that similar in play style. I’m uncertain that Fantilli has huge offensive upside. It might be a bit of a hot-take, but I’d actually draft Beniers over Fantilli if they were in the same draft class.

 

[GermanSpitfire]

 

[William H Bonney]

I’d also like to add the Fantilli’s points are absolutely inflated from playing god awful teams in the beginning while having the most stacked team in the NCAA. He’s truly a point per game player in the NCAA which is still great. But, he’s not close to Eichel’s freshman season at BU. Eichel didn’t play with a single first round pick and absolutely dominated.

Beniers and Fantilli play similar two-way games but are not all that similar in play style. I’m uncertain that Fantilli has huge offensive upside. It might be a bit of a hot-take, but I’d actually draft Beniers over Fantilli if they were in the same draft class.

This touches on something I'm most interested in about Fantilli and his long term projections. As a junior he's always played on absolutely stacked teams offensively. The Chicago Steel were stacked both seasons, Michigan is stacked this year, and Team Canada has been stacked when he's repped them as well.

It's certainly a positive that he knows how to produce on stacked teams and in advantageous positions, but we'd know a lot more about his offense upside if he'd yet been in a position where he had to be the guy without a seemingly endless supporting cast of offensive talent.

 

[Breakers]

You are way overrating the Michigan team. Beniers is gone, Power is gone, Johnson, Bordelau, Brisson are gone, as well as nice depth players like Patujov and Beecher. Their best player is a Dman, Hughes. Samoskevich and McGroarty are nice players, but hardly dominant. If anyone is being propped up, it's the 2022-23 MI team by Fantilli.

MI is not a dominant team at this point. They are a strong'ish team, that is ranked 7-8 in the country, and 3rd in the B10, after MN and Penn State.

Exactly
Sameskovic has 1 point in the 4 games Fantilli has been out.

 

[Leviathan899]

His lack of high end hockey sense is going to limit his upside imo. All tools but since his Toronto Jr Canadiens days before bolting for Kimball Union, he’s never impressed me in that regard. Against really good teams, he doesn’t put up. I personally wouldn’t want to touch him in the top 5 of this draft.

 

[FLYguy3911]

This touches on something I'm most interested in about Fantilli and his long term projections. As a junior he's always played on absolutely stacked teams offensively. The Chicago Steel were stacked both seasons, Michigan is stacked this year, and Team Canada has been stacked when he's repped them as well.

It's certainly a positive that he knows how to produce on stacked teams and in advantageous positions, but we'd know a lot more about his offense upside if he'd yet been in a position where he had to be the guy without a seemingly endless supporting cast of offensive talent.

That goes both ways too. There is also more competition for minutes on those teams and he has risen to the top.

 

[nbwingsfan]

I’m starting to have this kid over Bedard. I think both will have amazing careers but I’m more confident than Fantilli will do it at centre. I think there’s a chance Bedard gets move to the wing.

I am coming out and saying this officially for the first time so I’m on record:

***i would select Fantilli over Bedard***

This kid is that good. He ticks every single box. Every one. And I think in 3 years he will already be a top 10 centre in the league and at his peak he is top 5 maybe only behind mcdavid, mackinnon and Matthews. I have him right after

This will become even more ridiculous than the few who said they would take Eichel over McDavid in their draft year.

Fantilli is all tools no tool box.

And even those tools aren’t as sharp as Bedards

 

[William H Bonney]

That goes both ways too. There is also more competition for minutes on those teams and he has risen to the top.

He was a top guy on those teams because he should be a top guy on those teams. I didn't insinuate otherwise. The question is how would he perform when he's not surrounded by a ton of offensive talent and depth as he has been for the past 3 seasons. I'm not raising the point to denigrate Fantilli's status as a prospect; just highlighting that when projecting him, it'd be nice to see him in a different situation.

 

[Kshahdoo]

In, say, 10 years it'll be funny to listen to fans of that team that have picked Fantilli over Michkov.

It's like taking Eichel before Kucherov. And there is a good chance Michkov will be even better than Kuch and Fantilli worse than Eichel...

 

[nbwingsfan]

In, say, 10 years it'll be funny to listen to fans of that team that have picked Fantilli over Michkov.

It's like taking Eichel before Kucherov. And there is a good chance Michkov will be even better than Kuch and Fantilli worse than Eichel...

Haven’t seen any of Michkov to make any comments on that comparison.

But Bedard is on a level or two above Fantilli and it’s beyond insane to suggest otherwise at this point

 

[Trojans86]

I’m not ready to say he has no toolbox. I haven’t watched him a ton yet but I do see him playing with his head up and trying to diagnose the play a lot. Just need him making the right reads.

 

[BB88]

In, say, 10 years it'll be funny to listen to fans of that team that have picked Fantilli over Michkov.

It's like taking Eichel before Kucherov. And there is a good chance Michkov will be even better than Kuch and Fantilli worse than Eichel...

You know the issues/concerns relating drafting Michkov.
Gm needs to know his seat is safe for years to be able to take him with a top2/3 pick

 

[QJL]

You know the issues/concerns relating drafting Michkov.
Gm needs to know his seat is safe for years to be able to take him with a top2/3 pick

I disagree. You take the risk. The gap between Michkov and Fantilli is massive.

 

[BB88]

I disagree. You take the risk. The gap between Michkov and Fantilli is massive.

By the time Michkov enters the league is the Gm who picked him still on the job?
3 years is a damm long time if your seat is on fire.

If a Gm thinks Fantilli has 1C potential and is pretty safe for top6 C and he’s job is on the line that’s far safer bet for his own future

Edit.
In comparison imagine picking Michkov in top3 and your team being garbage next year?
How safe is that Gm’s job?

 

[Kshahdoo]

You know the issues/concerns relating drafting Michkov.
Gm needs to know his seat is safe for years to be able to take him with a top2/3 pick

That's why I say in 10 years. All those concerns are understandable right now. In 10 years people will look at them with different attitude...

 

[QJL]

By the time Michkov enters the league is the Gm who picked him still on the job?
3 years is a damm long time if your seat is on fire.

If a Gm thinks Fantilli has 1C potential and is pretty safe for top6 C and he’s job is on the line that’s far safer bet for his own future

Edit.
In comparison imagine picking Michkov in top3 and your team being garbage next year?
How safe is that Gm’s job?

If you’re picking low enough to select Michkov, it is expected your team will be garbage the following year. Also, ownership would almost certainly get involved in a selection like Michkov. There is always an ownership expectation on competitive window and any reasonable GM would have a conversation with ownership about the projected timeline. Smart GMs and smart owners should know it’s worth the wait.

 

[BB88]

That's why I say in 10 years. All those concerns are understandable right now. In 10 years people will look at them with different attitude...

Of course.

But none of our jobs are on the line

If you’re picking low enough to select Michkov, it is expected your team will be garbage the following year. Also, ownership would almost certainly get involved in a selection like Michkov. There is always an ownership expectation on competitive window and any reasonable GM would have a conversation with ownership about the projected timeline. Smart GMs and smart owners should know it’s worth the wait.

I’m saying for a Gm who’s job is on the line va Gm who’s on a good spot.

It’s hard to sell passing on potential franchise C’s to pick a player who could be coming in 3 years time.

You know draft is about the only place where you get a shot at landing a franchise prospect which are extemely important for rebuilding teams.

Picking Michkov is not a no risk move.

 

[crosbyshow]

Carlsson is better than Fantili. Way smarter..big, strong, vision IQ, great shot.

A future number one center in the NHL.

For me he is the second best prospect in the world