NHL Draft Prospect Roundup: Adam Fantilli is absolutely ridiculous

Credit: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch /

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Ahead of the 2019 OHL Draft, it looked like two players were poised to earn exceptional status.

Shane Wright was a shoo-in. His numbers were among the best ever seen at that age and, as time showed, he was ready for the step up. But while he was dominating with the Don Mills Flyers, Adam Fantilli was lighting it up with the Toronto Red Wings and even went to battle with Wright for the OHL Cup final.

Wright ultimately won, and was selected first overall after being granted exceptional status. Fantilli, instead, went the USHL route, where he put up solid numbers with the USHL’s Chicago Steel.

But I’m not sure anyone expected him to be the NCAA’s best player this year. He’s been so good that he’s about to surpass some pretty incredible campaigns by some of the best college freshmen we’ve ever seen. And that’s why he’s the focus of today’s prospect roundup:

NCAA

– It’s hard to overshadow what Connor Bedard is doing as the top prospect, but Adam Fantilli (No. 2) would be a No. 1 in many other drafts. With the NCAA playoffs in full swing, Fantilli’s 56 points not only lead all freshmen, but lead all players, period. Fantill’s season isn’t over yet, but his 1.81 points-per-game average with the University of Michigan is the best of any U-19 players in the 2000s. Jack Eichel’s 71-point season with Boston University in 2014-15 is often viewed as the gold standard, but that could end up being Fantilli’s territory before too long. Scouts love his offensive abilities, but the 2023 World Junior Championship gold medalist stands tall at 6-foot-2 and 187 pounds and isn’t afraid to mix it up. He’s the consensus No. 2 prospect, and an excellent one at that.

– Speaking of electric freshman seasons, it’s never easy to play at a point-per-game pace, no matter who you are. Matthew Wood (No. 27) has 33 points in 34 games with the University of Connecticut, good to lead a team with a handful of NHL prospects in the lineup. At 6-foot-3, Wood has excellent size and produced everywhere he played. The biggest issue is his skating, which the right coaches can help work on. But he’s having the best offensive season since Jonathan Toews (39 points in 2005-06) among U-18 skaters since 2000, and that can’t be ignored.

OHL

– After going undrafted a year ago, Beau Jelsma (overager) has kept scouts occupied. He’s on pace for a 30-goal, 60-point season, a decent boost from his 47-point output a year ago when he was first eligible. Granted, a 60-point pace isn’t mindblowing for a Draft+1 prospect, but he’s a vital piece of the team’s offense. Jelsma – who attended Florida’s development camp a year ago – is skilled, has nice speed, and causes significant distraction in front of the net for his size. Jelsma isn’t afraid to get physical and defend his teammates, and fans absolutely love him.

WHL

– After an uneventful season as a first-year eligible last year, it’s unlikely that Saskatoon Blades forward Yegor Sidorov (overager) will get passed over this time. Last year was an adjustment period for the Belarusian who was still adjusting to life in Canada and often found himself in undesirable matchups. Now, he’s up to 40 goals and 74 points in 49 games, and his recent stretch of 20 points over the past 10 games has been the best of his two-year junior career. A year ago, he seemed overpatient. This year, he’s generating more on his own.

– From a public draft list perspective, people seemed split on Lukas Dragicevic (No. 25). The numbers are clearly there, with the 6-foot-2 blueliner on pace for just under 80 points in his second season with the club. Nine of those points have come over the past 10 games, including a three-point effort on Saturday in a 4-3 Tri-City win over Portland. Dragicevic plays a high-risk, high-reward game – he’s essentially a rover out there, and, at the very least, will play a power-play quarterback role in the NHL one day. His skating isn’t great, and he’s prone to giveaways, but Dragicevic has real NHL potential.

QMJHL

– The QMJHL has a weak prospect crop this year and is one of the main reasons why many scouts don’t like calling this a “deep draft.” But one of the names they’re keeping a close eye on is Halifax’s Mathieu Cataford (No. 68), a mid-sized winger that’s playing a big role with the Mooseheads. He has a nice 30 goals and 69 points in the team’s top six, a group that’s headlined by Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Jordan Dumais. With 30 goals, Cataford is second on the team, only behind Dumais. He has four goals and five points over the past two games to help end a recent dry spell. Cataford has a high hockey sense and plays a smart, reliable game most nights. He’s the type of player who can get the job done at both ends of the ice in a third-line role.

BCHL

– There are always a few breakthrough Canadian Jr. A prospects each year, and Bradley Nadeau (No. 53) is one of the top. He’s on pace for 108 points with Penticton, which would be the best output by a U-18 player since Jeff Tambellini put up 117 in 2001-02. That would best Kent Johnson, Alex Newhook and Tyson Jost, among other notables. After spending a ton of time watching him recently, I definitely had the University of Maine product too low in my own rankings.

USHL

– Many scouts discount Gabe Perreault (No. 40) due to whom he plays with, but the results are still quite something. The son of former NHLer Yanic Perreault has 42 goals and 96 points in 48 games and will break the 100-barrier very soon. If his 2.00 point-per-game holds up, it would be the best in the U-18 team’s history, The concerns around Perreault’s play is based on his play away from the puck, and, yes, his linemates Will Smith and Ryan Leonard are notable prospects, but it takes someone just as special to convert on plays like Perreault does.

– Some scouts have been keeping a close eye on 20-year-old goaltender Max Lundgren. The Swede has a respectable 13-10-2 record with two shutouts and a .908 save percentage through 28 games with Des Moines. He’s a bit of a late-bloomer, with the 6-foot-5 netminder sitting 10th on the NHL’s Central Scouting list for North American-based goaltenders. He’s athletic, but it’s the size that scouts like. One fact: he served as a backup for Finland during a Four Nations game in 2021. A Swede helping out the Finns? Weird, right?

US Prep

– I’ll dive deeper into the prep school class of 2023, but the one most worth keeping an eye on right now is Shattuck’s Hunter Anderson (N/A). The 5-foot-9 forward doesn’t play like he’s on the smaller side – he’s aggressive, spends a ton of time in front of the net and puts a lot of power behind his shot. The University of Denver commit has 52 goals and 96 points in just 47 games to lead all United States high school prep players. I’m calling it now: a team will take him late in the draft, and he will excel in college and become a quality second-liner.