Michigan center Adam Fantilli would be a heck of a consolation prize for the Flyers at No. 2

While Regina Pats center Connor Bedard is viewed as a generational prospect, Fantilli showed as a freshman that he is "special" in his own right.

Adam Fantilli, who is projected to be the No. 2 overall pick in June's NHL draft, just put together one of the best freshman seasons in NCAA history.Read moreAl Goldis / AP

by Olivia Reiner

Published May 4, 2023, 5:00 a.m. ET

If this year’s NHL draft is like an Ocean City boardwalk carnival game, then Regina Pats center Connor Bedard would be the coveted, oversized teddy bear situated on the highest rung of the prize display.

But the player expected to go second overall, University of Michigan center Adam Fantilli, isn’t exactly a keychain charm of a runner-up prize.

Fantilli, 18, made NCAA history this year, becoming just the third freshman to win the Hobey Baker Award after Paul Kariya and Jack Eichel. He’s widely considered to be the clear No. 2 in this year’s class, ahead of players such as Russian right winger Matvei Michkov and Swedish center Leo Carlsson. NHL Central Scouting director David Gregory recently told NHL.com that Fantilli is a “really special player” who dictated how Big Ten champion Michigan was going to play and how every team had to play against the Wolverines.

He may not have the hype or “generational talent” label that Bedard possesses heading into the draft, but Fantilli has the potential to make a long-term impact up the middle in the NHL. Therein lies the question leading up to the May 8 draft lottery — who will be picking at No. 2, and could it be the Flyers?

Let’s pretend the hockey gods grant the Flyers enough luck to jump five spots and land the No. 2 selection for the sake of this exercise (just pretend that the words “luck” and “Flyers” belong in the same sentence). According to Tankathon, the Flyers have a 6.7% chance of landing the second-overall pick in June’s draft, which is marginally better than their 6.5% odds of winning the first-overall selection.

But 6.7% isn’t 0%. So, if the ping-pong balls bounce in the Flyers’ favor and award them the No. 2 overall pick, how would Fantilli fit both in the present and future? We took a look in the second part of our three-part series examining what the Flyers might do with their first-round selection depending on their draft-lottery fate:

Who is Adam Fantilli?

Fantilli, who hails from Nobleton, Ontario, was Michigan’s first-line center last season. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Fantilli flaunted strength, physicality, and speed in his first NCAA season. He led the nation in points (65) and tied for the lead in goals (30) in 36 games for the Wolverines. His 1.81 points-per-game clip was the third-best this century behind Salem County’s Johnny Gaudreau (2.00 in 2014) and Kyle Connor (1.87 in 2016).

Fantilli, who is a left-handed shot, set Big Ten tournament records for goals (seven) and points (11) while earning MVP honors. He also nabbed the Tim Taylor Award, which is given to the nation’s most outstanding freshman.

The youngster also helped Canada win gold at the 2023 World Juniors, tallying two goals and three assists in seven games. Bedard, Fantilli’s teammate at the tournament, said in an interview with NHL.com that he’s struck by Fantilli’s size, speed, and power, calling what he accomplished at the NCAA level “unheard of.”

For everything that Bedard does have, at 5-10, 185 pounds, he lacks the size that Fantilli boasts. Fantilli is considered one of the best skaters in this draft despite his larger frame, and uses his top-end speed to win footraces, create breakaways, and burn defenders in transition.

He has the strong puck skills and shot to complement his speed, making him both an offensive play driver and a finisher. A two-way center, Fantilli rounds out his skill game with a physical bite, bringing energy on the forecheck to create turnovers.

How would Fantilli fit in on the Flyers?

The Flyers are in need of high-end talent, regardless of position, and Fantilli has the potential to check that box. His 1.81 points per game in his draft year is the best average among active NHL players that played college hockey.

As injuries have taught the Flyers over the past few seasons, teams can never have too much talent up the middle, and Fantilli would be a welcome addition. The Flyers finished the season 29th in the league in goals per game (2.68) and are in need of a game-breaker like Fantilli. Additionally, the Flyers’ power play ranked last in the league (15.6%), and Fantilli’s talents (10 power-play goals this season) could help the group rise from the basement in that department.

Plus, given Fantilli’s physicality, energy, and commitment to defense, he would figure to be a favorite of coach John Tortorella. Fantilli could evolve into a power forward at the next level, a style that Tortorella helped cultivate within 24-year-old winger Owen Tippett this season.

Looking at the roster, Sean Couturier is penciled in as the Flyers’ No. 1 center next season and is under contract for the next seven years. But Couturier has been sidelined since Dec. 18, 2021, and has undergone a pair of back surgeries. He will have to prove that he can stay healthy and return to his prior form in order to hold down the No. 1 spot.

The Flyers also have restricted free agent center Morgan Frost coming off a career season with 19 goals, 27 assists, and 46 points, as well as Noah Cates (also an RFA) down the middle. A player of Fantilli’s caliber, who projects as a top-line center down the line, could swoop in and create competition for these spots.

When would Fantilli join the Flyers?

Given his success at the NCAA level, Fantilli could make the transition to the NHL next season. However, as one-and-dones become increasingly less common in college hockey, he may opt to return to Michigan for his sophomore season depending on who drafts him. Fantilli recently told NHL.com that “everything is completely up in the air right now” regarding his immediate future.

Despite being more NHL-ready than most of his draft-eligible peers, Fantilli may end up getting drafted by a rebuilding team, delaying an immediate need for him to make the jump to the NHL. Given where the Flyers are in their “process,” as Tortorella says, the team could also send Fantilli back to college if they were to land the No. 2 pick. Cutter Gauthier, the Flyers’ No. 5 overall pick last season, recently announced he would return to Boston College for his sophomore season.

Fantilli finds himself in a similar spot to Eichel in 2015, talented enough to be the No. 1 pick in almost any other draft had it not been for a guy with the makings of a superstar named Connor. Eichel ultimately went No. 2 overall to the Buffalo Sabres, just behind Connor McDavid, who was taken by the Edmonton Oilers.

If the Flyers were to draft Fantilli, regardless of when he leaves Michigan, he could help bring star power that the team has longed for since the departure of longtime captain Claude Giroux.