Fantilli was drafted third overall in 2023.
Despite what people may think, Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli did progress from years one and two of his NHL career. No, he didn't have 70 points, but that also could be because of the players around him.
Let's take a look at the final stats for the young center.
Goals - 24 - Took a slight step down in goals as he had 31 last season. He finished 24-25 by scoring 7 goals in his final seven games. He also had four power-play goals, compared to two the previous season. He had three total in his first two seasons.
Assists - 35 - Set a career high in assists, which included 9 power play assists. In 24-25, he had 23 assists and four on the power play.
Points - 59 - He set a career high in points in back-to-back years (31-23-54 in 2024-25).
Faceoff Win% - 49.8% - Highest of his career by over 6%.
Shots - 214 - Up from 191 the previous season.
Shooting % - 11.2% - Down from 16.2 in 25-25
Time On Ice - 18:54 - Up from 17:29 in 24-25.
PIM - 38 - Up from 18 in 24-25.
Hits - 139 - Up from 113.
Plus/Minus - -13 - second-worst on the team. He was a plus-4 last season. Playing so many minutes against the other team's top lines is most likely the main reason for this.
So, to recap, Fantilli set career highs in assists, points, power play goals, pp assists, pp points, faceoff %, shots, PIM, hits, and TOI.
If you want to dig in a little deeper, his Corsi and Fenwick also hit career highs, with both over 56%. Those two metrics were both at around 51% last season.
Adam Fantilli solidified himself as the #1 center for this franchise in his third year. Many will say that he had a down year, which isn't the case in my opinion. His development has been slowed a little due to factors beyond his control. The main reason being going into his fourth season, he'll be on his 4th head coach. Entering camp with a coach he’s familiar with and a full understanding of what to expect will be a major advantage for the youngster.
Of his draft class, he sits behind only Connor Bedard in goals scored (75) with his 67. Leo Carlsson, who was taken one pick before him, had a monster breakout season with the upstart Ducks and scored 29 goals, bringing his career total to 61.
Fantilli sits just one point behind Carlsson for his career as well.
Look for Adam Fantilli to have a monster year next season for the CBJ.
Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft Lottery on May 5, 2025, where the CBJ will most likely pick 14 or 15.
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