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

[Alberta tough]

He reminds me of Byfield.
The good= speed, size, shot
The bad=questionable IQ

 

[William H Bonney]

People are going to rag on him for the turnover but he's still a very good prospect. He's not as elite as folks might have hoped 2 years ago (remember the rumors he wanted to accelerate to play in the NCAA this season) but there's still a lot to be excited about. More likely a Dubois level prospect.

 

[Gold Standard]

He can kiss 2OA next year a wet and sloppy goodbye.

 

[canuck2010]

It's a little unfair to rate any Canadian player with this 4 game body of work. The players were chosen from 24% of the players not in the CHL playoffs. They had something like 4 days to prepare. Set up to fail. Why would you expect any more from them than you saw. Disorganized, no special teams etc.

Players are drafted for what they will become.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

It's a little unfair to rate any Canadian player with this 4 game body of work. The players were chosen from 24% of the players not in the CHL playoffs. They had something like 4 days to prepare. Set up to fail. Why would you expect any more from them than you saw. Disorganized, no special teams etc.

Players are drafted for what they will become.

People expect more because its team canada thats all

 

[ijuka]

The giveaway was pretty terrible. Beyond that, was not super impressive in the 2 games I saw. He's supposedly in #1OA conversation if he was a month older, and I definitely don't see that. I'll see what he does next season, right now he's difficult to gauge, but definitely doesn't blow me away with his skill like some others might.

 

[Antiillafire]

The giveaway was pretty terrible. Beyond that, was not super impressive in the 2 games I saw. He's supposedly in #1OA conversation if he was a month older, and I definitely don't see that. I'll see what he does next season, right now he's difficult to gauge, but definitely doesn't blow me away with his skill like some others might.

Dvorsky would never

 

[NA Hockey]

Questionable decision making through out the tournament, not just on the turnover. Big strong and fast but the fact that he looks closer to 30 than he does 18 makes me worried that his success the last two years is solely because he is just bigger, faster and stronger and that as he moves up levels that advantage disappears.

 

[NA Hockey]

Double post by accident.

 

[Stewie Griffin]

Excited to watch him at Michigan next year. Mcgroarty and Nazar as well.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

The giveaway was pretty terrible. Beyond that, was not super impressive in the 2 games I saw. He's supposedly in #1OA conversation if he was a month older, and I definitely don't see that. I'll see what he does next season, right now he's difficult to gauge, but definitely doesn't blow me away with his skill like some others might.

I would definitely take him over Wright

 

[ORRFForever]

Double post by accident.

Are you sure it wasn't intentional?

 

[scoutman1]

i see people talking about the turnover...the kid was one of Canadas best players in a tournament for players getting drafted this year...I think IMO and many many years of scouting and watching hockey that this kid to me proved he is a special talent...kid with that size, excellent skating and what i found impressive was he is a goal scorer and did a good job setting guys up in the series...he moved well on the ice and was always involved....his IQ is great, the kid made some mistakes but a short tournament does not prove anything, the team is thrown together, no one has chemistry and the kid was one of the best players playing against guys older than him...he is going to be an amazing prospect and a bigger prospect than someone said above a Dubois...I scouted Dubois at that age, watched him all through the QMJHL, Fantilli is better than Dubois...Fantilli is not a blow your mind, stick handle through the whole team guy, but his skills blow me away.

 

[William H Bonney]

i see people talking about the turnover...the kid was one of Canadas best players in a tournament for players getting drafted this year...I think IMO and many many years of scouting and watching hockey that this kid to me proved he is a special talent...kid with that size, excellent skating and what i found impressive was he is a goal scorer and did a good job setting guys up in the series...he moved well on the ice and was always involved....his IQ is great, the kid made some mistakes but a short tournament does not prove anything, the team is thrown together, no one has chemistry and the kid was one of the best players playing against guys older than him...he is going to be an amazing prospect and a bigger prospect than someone said above a Dubois...I scouted Dubois at that age, watched him all through the QMJHL, Fantilli is better than Dubois...Fantilli is not a blow your mind, stick handle through the whole team guy, but his skills blow me away.

He was playing against his own age group or guys younger than him. Let's pump the brakes pretending like he's some young guy playing up. People are being too hard on him based on this tournament, but your seemingly effusive praise based on this short tournament is over the top, too.

 

[Mr Buckles]

People are going to rag on him for the turnover but he's still a very good prospect.

Here's the turnover, for those wondering:

 

[bigdog16]

Questionable decision making through out the tournament, not just on the turnover. Big strong and fast but the fact that he looks closer to 30 than he does 18 makes me worried that his success the last two years is solely because he is just bigger, faster and stronger and that as he moves up levels that advantage disappears.

These are my thoughts as well. He has little maturing left to do so how much growth potential is really there? He’s had a full beard since he was 16…

 

[belair]

Don’t hold your breath

I don't think the Battalion are, but it'd probably be a better situation for him over playing on a rebuilding Michigan roster next season. Particularly if he's trying to raise his draft stock or be in a position to win a championship.

The Battalion are a contender in the Eastern Conference next season and potential favorite. He'd have one of the league's prime goalscorers on his wing and he'd be a part of the league's most potent powerplay unit.

But Michigan seems like the likely destination because he seems to go where his brother does. Even though it's tough to see Luca getting a ton of icetime on a program that routinely loads up on bluechip prospects.

 

[landy92mack29]

He was one of Canada's better players but most of them didn't really belong there. He's definitely a intriguing prospect and college should help clarify if he dominated the ushl simply because of his size or not. He does have IQ issues though...lots of really questionable decisions in all zones. I take PLD over him but I was one of the bigger PLD fans watching him in juniors. Bedard+Michkov are the clear 1/2 but Yager is pretty clearly better than Fantilli also at this stage imo

 

[William H Bonney]

He was one of Canada's better players but most of them didn't really belong there. He's definitely a intriguing prospect and college should help clarify if he dominated the ushl simply because of his size or not. He does have IQ issues though...lots of really questionable decisions in all zones. I take PLD over him but I was one of the bigger PLD fans watching him in juniors. Bedard+Michkov are the clear 1/2 but Yager is pretty clearly better than Fantilli also at this stage imo

He hasn't really dominated the USHL. He's been an elite player in the league for sure but he's always been on stacked, high scoring teams, too. He's been excellent, no doubt, though.

 

[scoutman1]

He was playing against his own age group or guys younger than him. Let's pump the brakes pretending like he's some young guy playing up. People are being too hard on him based on this tournament, but your seemingly effusive praise based on this short tournament is over the top, too.

He was playing against his own age group or guys younger than him. Let's pump the brakes pretending like he's some young guy playing up. People are being too hard on him based on this tournament, but your seemingly effusive praise based on this short tournament is over the top, too.

he is a draft year younger than most...he is a 2023 ranked guy and guys he was playing against are mostly 2022 ranked guys...and im pretty aware of pumping the breaks, nor did i speed up enough for that...maybe read my comments, i said people are saying this, watching him in one tournament that he was one of the better players on...the people you should be telling to pump the breaks are the people on here cutting his game up when the kid did nothing but impress...im not basing my overall take on the kid just on this tournament, i watched him in the USHL for Chicago, and watched him play in the GTHL for Jr Canadiens...so i have a bit of reading on him.

 

[93LEAFS]

People expect more because its team canada thats all

Pretty much this. While U-18 has issues for Canada fielding a top team, it's Gold or bust, and given the history that is a fair expectation. Now, no one should go rag on a kids social media (Comtois) and no newspaper should trash a kid (Virtanen) over a WJC loss. Although, U-18 doesn't get that coverage.

 

[William H Bonney]

I said people are overreacting to his tournament and turnover. But you need to pump the breaks on the hyperbole. Acting like he's meaningfully younger than his opposition or now that he "did nothing but impress " - come on. Nothing that wasn't impressive, huh?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I hate to pile on, so I won’t even comment on his play at this tournament. I would’ve posted this earlier, but what happened there was out of my control. Since I’ve been back I haven’t had the time to post all my USHL notes either from this season. This is what I wrote down going through Steel games.

Like him a little more than last season. Still not 100% convinced. His skill, playmaking, and hockey sense are all good, but not elite. He has moments where he’ll make a bad play in the offensive zone to throw away the puck under pressure. The types of plays that the guys that score 1PPG or higher in the NHL don’t really make. Doesn’t disqualify him from improving, but it worries me a little. I think his offensive skills are better than I saw last season. Probably due to bigger role, improving, and playing against players that aren’t as old this year. Think he’s firmly a top 10 guy, maybe borderline top 5. Can’t yet say I agree with that he’s a consensus top 3 guy. I do not see that.

 

[William H Bonney]

Only had 1 assist in 3 games as the Chicago Steel were bounced from the USHL Playoffs in an upset by Madison.

 

[BigHitter67]

Only had 1 assist in 3 games as the Chicago Steel were bounced from the USHL Playoffs in an upset by Madison.

Bust