Over the weekend Michigan Hockey got the bad news we were all fearing: superstar Adam Fantilli signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Yeah, I know.

FANtastic day for Adam Fantilli 😄@RuoffMortgage | #CBJhttps://t.co/IAgPIN3Oix

— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) July 1, 2023

I wrote about the NHL Draft last Thursday and speculated that Fantilli signing with Columbus was the more likely scenario. At the time, the reporting was that Fantilli would speak with the execs in Columbus about his future at their development camp this weekend, which seemed to give the fanbase a bit of hope.

Evidently that conversation was Adam saying "I want to play in the NHL" and Jarmo Kekäläinen going "cool" (okay I might be paraphrasing), because the signing got done in a hurry on Saturday morning. In all likelihood, both the player and the team are very happy with this decision and that leads us to today's exit post. Adam Fantilli was one of the best players in Michigan Hockey history and he deserves to get this look back at his career in a Michigan uniform. 

Adam Fantilli arrived at Michigan last fall as a phenom out of the USHL's Chicago Steel, joining his much-less-heralded older brother Luca in the 2022 recruiting class. He had scored at historically great rates for a 17-year-old in that league, putting him on a similar pace to such past players as Thomas Vanek, Kyle Connor, and Jack Eichel. In the season preview, I shared those comparables and noted that all three of those players scored at least 60 points in their freshman season. The expectation, if Fantilli was to be the player his USHL numbers indicated and his draft stock suggested, was for him to be one of the very best players in college hockey as a true freshman. He was. 

[David Wilcomes]

Fantilli was a star right away at Michigan. He scored four points in his first series against Lindenwood, picked up four more the next weekend against BU, and then got his first hat trick amid a seven-point weekend in week #3 against Lake State. There was never any question that he would be Michigan's 1C or Michigan's best offensive player. All that had been lost by the mega-outgoing NHL class of Beniers, Bordeleau, Brisson and the others could be patched up by the singular greatness of #19. 

Despite being a freshman, Fantilli never had a slow down or a slump where the going got tough. Over the entire season, Fantilli had one more point-less game (3) than he had hat tricks (2) (!!!!!!). A period from late November into early January when he had 2-3-5 in six games was the closest thing Fantilli got to a "slump". Of course, he followed that stretch up with 6-11-17 in six games just for the hell of it. He drove a line featuring himself, Gavin Brindley, and Rutger McGroarty that routinely tilted the ice on the opposition. Both of those players are good players, a lottery pick and an early second rounder, yet it was always Fantilli that drove that line. 

Along the way, Fantilli was invited to play on Team Canada's roster at the World Juniors, scoring five points in seven games and winning a gold medal. It was a modest and rather quiet performance that was overshadowed by the breahtaking dominance of Connor Bedard but was perfectly in line with other players from the past who played in the WJC (remember, a U20 tournament) in their draft-eligible season and went on to be great NHLers. 

[AFTER THE JUMP: what happened after the WJC]

[Bill Rapai]

Fantilli's interlude at the WJC cost him a few games on Michigan's schedule, due to Team Canada's development camp in early December. When he came back from the event, his scoring resumed, but he'd miss another game in February when the fiery side to Fantilli's game got a bit out of control. A scrum against MSU that saw him trading punches with the opposition got him suspended for the Saturday night Duel in the D against the Spartans, but that sort of energy from a skilled center only won him favors with NHL Hockey Men and draft scouts. 

As the season got into the home stretch, Fantilli continued to show out. He torched Wisconsin in the quarterfinals of the B1G Tournament, scoring five goals in that two game series, and then 2-2-4 against OSU in the semis was a fitting end to his career in Yost Ice Arena. The squad only needed one assist from him to overcome Minnesota in the Twin Cities to hoist the B1G Tournament trophy, but Fantilli was right back at it in the NCAAs. He scored a couple points against Colgate in the blowout opener and then notched the massive game-tying goal in the third period of the Regional Final against PSU: 

Adam Fantilli with his 29th goal of the season from Rutger McGroarty and Mackie Samoskevich. WE ARE tied. pic.twitter.com/RSYpgWbIX5

— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) March 27, 2023

After Mackie Samsokevich scored a minute into OT, Michigan was headed to the Frozen Four for the second straight season. Fantilli played a prominent role there too, rifling this laser by Yaniv Perets to tie the game in the second period of the national semifinal against Quinnipiac: 

Adam Fantilli from Luke Hughes and Rutger McGroarty and it's 2-2#GoBlue〽️ pic.twitter.com/ALeIYuFgip

— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) April 7, 2023

It ultimately wasn't enough, as Erik Portillo's poor showing in the third period helped to sink Michigan's national title chances. With it came an end to Adam Fantilli's freshman season- and his Michigan career. The final line was astonishing: 30 goals and 35 assists for 65 points in 36 games. The next day he was awarded the Hobey Baker Award as the best player in NCAA Hockey, the third freshman to ever win the award (joining Jack Eichel and Paul Kariya... and should've been Kyle Connor). Fantilli was the third Wolverine to ever win it as well, joining Brendan Morrison in 1997 and Kevin Porter in 2008. 

After the season, Fantilli suited up again for Team Canada, this time at the IIHF Men's World Championships. He scored only three points in ten games, but it's important to remember this was not a junior tournament, it's a men's tournament against NHLers. It was a valuable learning experience and Fantilli won gold for his country again. Fantilli entered the NHL Draft as one of the best prospects available in what was a LOADED draft. The expectation was that he would be picked second behind Bedard, but the Anaheim Ducks threw a last second curveball and took Swedish C Leo Carlsson, with Fantilli falling to the Columbus Blue Jackets at 3rd overall. Fantilli signed the contract on Saturday and officially hung up his Maize & Blue sweater. 

[David Wilcomes]

While I, like everyone, wanted to see Adam Fantilli back at Michigan in 2023-24, I cannot pretend like this isn't the correct move for Fantilli's future and development. There is nothing left for him to accomplish in college hockey. He was already the best player in the NCAA and while someone like a Logan Cooley can come back to win the Hobey (and to avoid playing for a team in a college hockey building), what was Fantilli coming back for other than to try and get a better result in March/April 2024's edition of Hockey Plinko? Moreover, Cooley can continue to add muscle and sharpen his tools in college. In my view, Fantilli needs to have his tools sharpened for him and that comes from playing against men and not boys. 

A good chunk of Fantilli's success in the NCAA has come through his physical gifts and the advantage he can extract from them against junior players. At 6'2, he's bigger than a number of players he encounters in the NCAA and he's already rather filled out, capable of playing a heavy, aggressive game that imposes on the smaller players who populate the NCAA. Fantilli is also not the world's greatest skater, quality in the NCAA but that will be challenged greatly in the NHL. I think, given the world championships stats, it's quite possible that Fantilli will struggle in year #1 if he plays in the league (he could be in the AHL too) but he will greatly benefit from that struggle. Fantilli needs to be tested in terms of pace and in a place where his size advantage is minimized. Men's leagues, be it the NHL or AHL, are that.  

Fantilli also had a habit of forcing plays sometimes at Michigan, letting his competitive drive overtake a more logical, Hockey IQ-based approach to the game. He often got away with it in the NCAA, but won't in a professional league. His defensive game will need to be sharpened up too, as is often the case for offensive powerhouse prospects. At Michigan he was able to win his minutes by tilting the ice and providing overwhelming offense. In a professional league, there will need to be more attention to detail on the defensive side of things. All of these are ways his game will grow and improve by taking this next step.  

[Patrick Barron]

Those last two paragraphs may sound negative, but it's me diagnosing the areas for improvement in his NHL profile and recognizing that those will realistically only improve by playing against men. Which is why it's good for Fantilli to move on in my view. My opinion of him as a prospect is positive. All of those areas are things I fully expect him to improve over the next few years, while the strengths will stay. His size and his compete level will always be there, as will his bomb of a shot, willingness to attack in transition, and ferocity on the forecheck and heavy wall game.

When you score 65 points in the NCAA at 18, you're going to be an exceptionally good NHL player unless something goes completely haywire in your development. Fantilli's size and ability to play center (a premium position) make him a franchise-player and it was a massive coup for Columbus that he dropped to them at #3. They can now pair him with Kent Johnson, Corson Cuelemans, Cole Sillinger, David Jiricek, and Denton Mateychuk (+ Brindley!) and credibly claim to have one of the most intriguing young cores in the NHL. It will likely take years for this group to mature, but at long last, I like what the Blue Jackets are building. 

As for Michigan, it's a massive loss and leaves a huge hole in the 2023-24 lineup. No two ways about that. The Wolverines are still in a good position, with the ability to slot in a fully healthy Frank Nazar III at 1C in place of Fantilli, while TJ Hughes retains his 2C role. But yeah, it will be different without Fantilli. I'm curious to see if Brandon Naurato dips back into the portal to replace Fantilli (I had received some intel they were poking around in case they needed a backup plan). I'm not sure exactly what is still out there to scoop up, but perhaps it's worth a gander. At the very least, we can take solace in the fact that Michigan got two team achievements (B1G Tournament title and Frozen Four) out of the Fantilli one-and-done experience. That alone makes it a success. 

So long, Adam. Enjoy Columbus and thanks for one of the best single seasons in Michigan Hockey history.