The NHL Education Of Adam Fantilli

As the third-overall pick in the 2023 NHL draft, Adam Fantilli arrived in Columbus with a lot of hype and a lot of promise.

Wednesday night in Toronto, the kid who grew up just north of the city and played his youth hockey in the famed GTHL got his first NHL hat trick for the Columbus Blue Jackets in front of scores of family and friends.

Fantilli's rookie season was cut short by injury, so the sophomore's next game will actually tie his career high at 49. Offensively, he's on the same pace but with more goals - and much better defensive results. That's important because Fantilli was playing on Columbus' top line in Toronto due to an injury to veteran Sean Monahan, who has been a revelation for the Blue Jackets - and a great mentor.

"He's really taught me how to slow down the game in the D-zone," Fantilli said. "I watch him a ton. He's such a sound centerman. His faceoffs are great, he's great in the offensive zone and he's always in the right position, so I try to emulate that, and it's been really helpful."

The Jackets needed Fantilli to fill in for Monahan, but Columbus' coach doesn't consider it a case of the youngster 'stepping up' right now.

"A lot of people don't realize he's stepped up all year," said Dean Evason. "He's had a lot of learning experiences, figuring out the defensive game. He clearly has an offensive game that's fantastic, but you have to keep the puck out of the net as well. If he's not committed to doing that, then he's not getting the looks like he's getting."

Fantilli is playing a full minute more per game than he did in his rookie season, where his usage by since-fired coach Pascal Vincent was Dave Cameron-esque. Evason has by no means given Fantilli free range, but at least he's putting him in situations where the big pivot can succeed while learning on the job.

"It's tough," Fantilli said of the NHL learning curve. "It's harder for some guys than others, and everybody learns at different paces. Watching Monahan, talking to all our coaches, they've been really helpful, and I have a really good support group around me. My game has changed a lot (since entering the league). I always thought that working hard was just skating as hard as you could all the time, and that's not the case. Sometimes, you have to be smarter about it."

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A phenom as a teenager, Fantilli was part of one the greatest games I've ever seen live - the 2019 U-16 OHL Cup final between the Toronto Red Wings and Don Mills Flyers. The Flyers won 5-4 in OT thanks to a roster that included Shane Wright, Brandt Clarke and Brennan Othmann. The Red Wings countered with Fantilli and Blue Jackets teammate Luca Del Bel Belluz, among others.

"On the ice, he was an underager, and he was dominant," said Del Bel Belluz. "As a guy, he's unbelievable. Good guy to hang out with. We went to school together for a few years, so we definitely have a connection. He's a great person."

Not only did Fantilli have the hat trick in Toronto, but he was stoked that Del Bel Belluz had two points of his own against the Leafs. The two points Columbus got in the standings that night also loom large, as the surprising Blue Jackets currently hold the top wild-card slot in the Eastern Conference.

The sooner they get Monahan back, the better. In the meantime, Fantilli has shown he has the potential to carry the mail down the middle.

"I'm just trying to keep chipping away at it and become a better player every day," Fantilli said. "I'm really grateful for the players I've been able to watch at this point and how much they've been able to help me to become the centerman I want to be. I'm not there yet, and I'll keep working towards that, but I'm really grateful for those who have helped me this season and last."

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