Blue Jackets putting faith in Michigan talent to rebuild roster

NASHVILLE -- Go Blue … Jackets?

The Columbus Blue Jackets play in the same city as Ohio State University, but they continue to source players from Ohio State's archrival, the University of Michigan.

They selected center Adam Fantilli in the first round (No. 3) of the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, then forward Gavin Brindley in the second round (No. 34) on Thursday.

Fantilli and Brindley played on the same line much of last season and lived in the same dorm, South Quad, as freshmen in Ann Arbor.

As Columbus was about to make the No. 34 pick Thursday, Fantilli sat across from Brindley, looking at him with both hands up and his fingers crossed. When the pick was announced, Fantilli jumped up before Brindley did. Fantilli found Brindley on the draft floor, and they gave each other a big bear hug.

"Yeah," Brindley said, "it was a pretty cool moment for us."

RELATED: [Complete 2023 NHL Draft coverage]

The Blue Jackets already have three Michigan players: defenseman Zach Werenski, a first-round pick (No. 8) in the 2015 NHL Draft; center Kent Johnson, a first-round pick (No. 5) in the 2021 NHL Draft; and defenseman Nick Blankenburg, an undrafted free agent signed July 15, 2022.

Fantilli referenced that in his first comment to the media after his selection.

"To know there's a lot of Michigan guys where I'm headed," Fantilli said, "it's going to be really cool."

Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said he thinks the Columbus-Michigan connection is a coincidence. When the Blue Jackets make their draft list, they rank the players in order of preference. They aren't going to prefer a player just because of his school.

Especially if it's That School Up North.

"It's just has fallen this way now that we've gotten a lot of Michigan players," Kekalainen said.

That said, Michigan's Yost Ice Arena is only about a three-hour drive north of Columbus' Nationwide Arena, making it an easy place for the Blue Jackets to visit. It's a safe bet that Kekalainen and his colleagues know where the coffee is.

"I have been there a few times," said Ville Siren, the Blue Jackets director of amateur scouting. "Let's put it that way. I saw [the Wolverines] on the road too."

Michigan has a long history of success in hockey, and the Wolverines have had six players selected in the top 10 since 2015, including three in the top five in 2021.

Defenseman Owen Power went to the Buffalo Sabres at No. 1 and forward Matty Beniers went to the Seattle Kraken at No. 2 before Johnson went to the Blue Jackets at No. 5.

Beniers won the Calder Trophy as the rookie of the year this season. Power finished third in the voting by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

"In that way, it's not a coincidence," Kekalainen said. "They have good players in that program."

And one can lead to another.

Kekalainen said Brindley "was an easy guy to find because we went to see Adam Fantilli so much."

Fantilli was long considered one of the top prospects in this draft. He led Michigan with 65 points (30 goals, 35 assists) in 36 games last season and won the Hobey Baker Award as the top men's player in the NCAA.

"He's a freak of nature," Brindley said. "He's 6-2, 6-3, 195 pounds and moves like a 5-9, 170 guy out there. His skating ability, his skill set, the way he shoots the puck, it's off the charts. He thinks the game at such an elite level as well."

Brindley is, well, a 5-9, 170 guy. But he earned the opportunity to play with Fantilli and in the process showed Columbus he can play bigger than his size. He had 38 points (12 goals, 26 assists) in 41 games.

"If you want to play at that size, you've got to be competitive, because guys are not going to give you any leeway just because you're small," Kekalainen said. "But he plays the right way. He doesn't shy away from any physical confrontation and just plays hard."

Another advantage to Michigan is Brandon Naurato, who guided the Wolverines to the Frozen Four in his first season as coach and knows how to develop players for the NHL. He spent three seasons with the Detroit Red Wings as a player development consultant and trains NHL players in the Detroit area in the offseason.

It remains to be seen if Fantilli will return to Michigan for his sophomore season, but Brindley will be back to work with Naurato again.

"He's awesome," Brindley said. "I've played for a lot of unbelievable coaches, and kudos to them. But 'Naurs,' the way he thinks the game and understands the game is next level. I mean, he's helped me so much this past year, and I can imagine playing with him for two or three years, maybe even four years."

There is only one problem, at least for Brindley. His mother, Rochelle, is from Coshocton, Ohio, about 1½ hours east of Nationwide Arena. He has family in the Columbus area too.

"They're big Ohio State fans," Brindley said with a smile. "Don't repeat that. It didn't come from me."