Headlines

  • NHL, NHLPA Ratify Four-Year CBA Extension
  • Gavin McKenna To Commit To Penn State
  • Tyler Johnson Announces Retirement
  • Flyers Re-Sign Cam York To Five-Year Contract
  • Sabres, Mammoth Elect Salary Arbitration With Bowen Byram, Jack McBain
  • Players Still Eligible For Offer Sheets
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • MLB Trade Rumors
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors

Pro Hockey Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • Atlantic
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Central
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Dallas Stars
      • Minnesota Wild
      • Nashville Predators
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Utah Mammoth
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • Metropolitan
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Pacific
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Partners
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Adam Fantilli Considering NCAA Return

June 8, 2023 at 8:54 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 7 Comments

It has been quite the year for Adam Fantilli. Coming out of the USHL, he joined the Michigan Wolverines just as the program said goodbye to several elite players. Names like Matty Beniers, Kent Johnson, and Owen Power had all turned pro well before their eligibility expired, leaving plenty of opportunity for incoming talents.

The 18-year-old forward took advantage of that opportunity, immediately becoming the team’s most dominant player (save, perhaps, for Luke Hughes, who had his own incredible year). Fantilli would put up 65 points in just 38 games to pace the nation in scoring, win a gold medal as a key part of Team Canada at the World Juniors, and double up to win the Hobey Baker and Tim Taylor awards as college hockey’s best player and rookie.

He’s widely expected to go second overall in this year’s draft to the Anaheim Ducks, a team building quite the core of young forwards.

According to Fantilli, the Ducks might still have to wait a little while to get their hands on him. At the scouting combine in Buffalo, he told reporters, including Adam Kimelman of NHL.com, that a return to Michigan for his sophomore season is not out of the question.

I feel like I really can’t really go wrong. Michigan is an amazing place, and obviously, the NHL is where you want to be, it’s where you grew up wanting to play your entire life. So, it’s a big decision. There’s pros to both sides.

In all likelihood, the 6’2″ center will sign his entry-level deal and leave the NCAA after just one season. But, as he says, there are pros to staying, too. While he doesn’t have much to prove at that level, waiting another year would let him further mature physically and continue to hone his defensive game.

There were times at the recent World Championships when he seemed outmatched against professional competition. He scored just one goal and three points in ten games at the international competition. Should he go back to college for another year—as many top picks do—he would also get another chance to play at the World Juniors, this time as the star attraction.

There’s little doubt that Fantilli will make it to the NHL at some point, but the Ducks don’t need to rush him. The group is probably not yet ready to contend, meaning they could delay his entry-level contract a year. Even if they signed him at the end of the season, as long as Fantilli doesn’t play in more than ten NHL games, his contract would slide forward.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email

NCAA Adam Fantilli

AHL Announces Inaugural Top Prospects Team
Main
New York Rangers Re-Sign Anton Blidh
View Comments (7)

Comments

  1. dave frost nhlpa

    2 years ago

    Play 2 more seasons in AA. Then jump in the Ducks lineup. Not going to be missing a playoff run in Anaheim.

    Reply
  2. Tribucks

    2 years ago

    I’m gonna read this as, “Fantilli wants to be a Blue Jacket.”

    Reply
    • wreckage

      2 years ago

      Nobody wants to be a Blue Jacket these days.

      1
      Reply
    • deepseamonster32

      2 years ago

      Would he want to move from Ann Arbor to Columbus?

      Reply
    • Tribucks

      2 years ago

      A 3-hour drive away and a lot closer to the suburbs of Toronto than Anaheim is, plus he gets to play with 3 other UofMs in Zach Werensky, Kent Johnson and Nick Blankenburg.

      Better college football team, too!

      Reply
    • wreckage

      2 years ago

      You’re forgetting about the Babcock effect.

      Reply
    • Tribucks

      2 years ago

      There are unconfirmed rumors that it’s not the done deal everyone thinks and many CBJ fans are happy to entertain, maybe even stoke, those rumors.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.

Log in Register

    Top Stories

    NHL, NHLPA Ratify Four-Year CBA Extension

    Gavin McKenna To Commit To Penn State

    Tyler Johnson Announces Retirement

    Flyers Re-Sign Cam York To Five-Year Contract

    Sabres, Mammoth Elect Salary Arbitration With Bowen Byram, Jack McBain

    Players Still Eligible For Offer Sheets

    Eleven Players Elect Salary Arbitration

    Lyndon Byers Passes Away At 61

    Blue Jackets Re-Sign Dmitri Voronkov

    Mammoth Begin Extension Talks With Logan Cooley

    Recent

    Islanders Sign Forward Adam Beckman To One-Year Deal

    Strategic Drafting Will Keep Capitals Competitive

    Golden Knights Sign Lukas Cormier

    Penguins Sign Benjamin Kindel To Entry-Level Contract

    Avalanche Hire Dave Hakstol As Assistant Coach

    Canucks Re-Sign Jett Woo, Nikita Tolopilo

    NHL, NHLPA Ratify Four-Year CBA Extension

    Washington Capitals Sign Sheldon Rempal

    Jesse Puljujärvi Signs With NL’s Genève-Servette HC

    Canadiens Interested In Adding To Forward Group

    Rumors By Team

    Rumors By Team

    • Avalanche Rumors
    • Blackhawks Rumors
    • Blue Jackets Rumors
    • Blues Rumors
    • Bruins Rumors
    • Canadiens Rumors
    • Canucks Rumors
    • Capitals Rumors
    • Devils Rumors
    • Ducks Rumors
    • Flames Rumors
    • Flyers Rumors
    • Golden Knights Rumors
    • Hurricanes Rumors
    • Islanders Rumors
    • Jets Rumors
    • Kings Rumors
    • Kraken Rumors
    • Lightning Rumors
    • Mammoth Rumors
    • Maple Leafs Rumors
    • Oilers Rumors
    • Panthers Rumors
    • Penguins Rumors
    • Predators Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Red Wings Rumors
    • Sabres Rumors
    • Senators Rumors
    • Sharks Rumors
    • Stars Rumors
    • Wild Rumors

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • 2025’s Top 50 Unrestricted Free Agents
    • Sam Bennett Rumors
    • Nikolaj Ehlers Rumors
    • Mitch Marner Rumors
    • Marco Rossi Rumors

    Pro Hockey Rumors Features

    Pro Hockey Rumors Features

    • Support Pro Hockey Rumors And Go Ad-Free
    • 2025 Free Agent Focus Series
    • 2025 Offseason Checklist Series
    • 2025 NHL Free Agent List
    • 2026 NHL Free Agent List
    • Active Roster Tracker
    • Coaching Staff Directory
    • Draft Pick Tracker 2025
    • Key Offseason Dates
    • Offseason Trade Tracker
    • Pro Hockey Rumors On X
    • Pro Hockey Rumors Polls
    • Waiver Claims 2024-25

     

     

     

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives

    PHR Info

    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Commenting Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

    scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version