Fantilli has stepped up in an expanded role

As Mike Todd’s voice started to echo throughout Nationwide Arena during a recent Blue Jackets game, Adam Fantilli was on the bench trying to catch the eye of head coach Dean Evason.

It was the Feb. 6 game against Utah, and Fantilli had just made a play with the puck he knew should have been better. When he got back to the bench and the game went to a media timeout, Fantilli looked to make amends with his head coach as the broadcast cut to commercials.

“He threw a puck in the middle of the ice and came back to the bench and there was a timeout, and he’s looking directly at me,” Evason said. “And I knew he was, so I was kind of avoiding him. And then I looked him and he just went, ‘My bad.’ I said, ‘Yep.’ That’s it.

“There’s been a lot of video teaching to Adam Fantilli by every single coach in there. Which is fantastic and a credit to the coaching staff, but for him to buy into it is even more exciting.”

So goes the continued learning experience for perhaps the biggest piece of the puzzle for a CBJ team with a bright future. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 draft, Fantilli is thought by many to be a star in the making, a dynamic first-line center who can grow into taking the organization to new heights.

Of course, in the moment, he’s a 20-year-old, second-year forward still learning the tricks of the trade that will help take him to those lofty laurels at the NHL level. The good thing is he’s a willing pupil, understanding that every day is an opportunity to add to his knowledge bank and keep getting better.

It’s fair to say things are going pretty well, and it’s not just because Fantilli is a key part of a surprising Blue Jackets team that is in the mix of the postseason race two-thirds of the way into the season.

Sean Monahan’s injury Jan. 7 at Pittsburgh changed things for Fantilli, bumping the pivot into a top-line role. It could have been a spot where things maybe got a bit rich for the youngster, but all he’s done since then in 15 games plus a period of action is produce at a nearly point-per-game clip – seven goals and eight assists for 15 points – and notch his first career hat trick Jan. 22 in his hometown of Toronto.

“He’s playing the best hockey he’s played in his career, so it’s just really good to see and it’s good for the team,” Kent Johnson said of his friend and linemate.

But it’s not all just about getting on the scoresheet for the young centerman. Evason has preached throughout the season that everything Fantilli wants – scoring production, ice time and a bigger impact all around – will come if he keeps playing the right way.

It was clear before the 4 Nations Face-Off break that the head coach’s trust in Fantilli was growing in spades. Before Monahan’s injury, Fantilli had topped 20 minutes in ice time just once in the first 40 games. He’s been over the 20-minute mark nine times since, including a career-high 26:59 in the team’s last game Feb. 8 vs. the New York Rangers.

In the eyes of Evason, it’s earned ice time, as not only has Fantilli contributed offensively, he’s become more and more responsible on the defensive end, including being on the ice for a 12-7 edge in goals for the Blue Jackets at 5-on-5 the last 15 games.

“If you would have said to us two months ago that Mo would be playing 24(-plus) minutes at this point, I would have thought you were crazy,” Evason said. “But I think it’s credit to him and what he has done and the work that he has put in – not as a skilled hockey player, but as a pro – to be able to play in all situations.

“It is exciting for us as an organization? Absolutely. To have somebody like that step up in the absence of a Monahan or a Boone Jenner or someone that is in that position, yeah, it’s fantastic.”

As Evason noted, perhaps the most encouraging aspect of Fantilli’s growth is how much the player himself has put into it. He was ready to step into Monahan’s role because he said he’s watched how the veteran center has played all season, learning things like how to slow down to read plays, specific faceoff moves and skills in the bumper position on the power play simply by paying attention throughout the season.

He also has perspective on where he is and where he’s going, noting that his recent time as the team’s No. 1 center will continue to pay off down the road.

“I’m excited to be given the opportunity,” Fantilli said. “It’s a great experience. At the end of the day, it’s where I want to be. To be the type of player I want to be for this team, whether it comes this season, next season, two seasons from now, whatever it is, I want to work toward being that guy, and this is a great experience for that.”