Top NHL Draft prospect considering a return to school over going pro in '23
University of Michigan center Adam Fantilli is expected to be the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, but it may be a while before he makes his NHL debut.
Speaking to reporters at the NHL Combine on Wednesday, Fantilli disclosed that he hasn’t decided where he wants to play next year, but returning to the Wolverines is very much on the table.
"I think I'll make that decision when it comes,” Fantilli said, via NHL.com. “Whatever the [NHL] team says and whatever my close circle around me says, I'll take their advice and make a decision at the end of the day, but we haven't really gotten there yet."
During his freshman season, Fantilli scored 30 goals and 65 points in 36 games, leading Michigan to a 26-12-3 record, its second straight Big Ten Tournament championship and its NCAA-leading 27th Frozen Four appearance.
The 18-year-old Ontario native also won gold on May 28 with Team Canada at the 2023 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship, and on Wednesday, he was nominated for the IIHF Male Player of the Year.
Though some may argue that Fantilli has nothing left to prove after being named college hockey’s National Rookie of the Year and winning the Hobey Baker Award, given annually to the top player in college hockey.
However, the allure of chasing a national championship in 2023 could be more appealing to Fantilli than potentially spending a year in the American Hockey League.
"I feel like I really can't really go wrong," Fantilli added. "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."
The Anaheim Ducks hold the No. 2 overall pick, and many draft experts are projecting them to grab Fantilli, who in a draft year not featuring Connor Bedard would likely be picked first overall.
If drafted by Anaheim, Fantilli would instantly become the top prospect in a farm system ranked No. 8 by The Athletic — one that also boasts fellow top-ranked centers Nathan Gaucher (No. 3) and Jacob Perreault (No. 9).
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