Toronto Maple Leafs: 3 Trade Destinations for William Nylander
To Columbus Blue Jackets: William Nylander
To Toronto Maple Leafs: Adam Fantilli and David Jiricek
Adam Fantilli’s time with the Columbus Blue Jackets would be very short lived as he was recently drafted third overall by the organization.
Originally projected to be the second overall pick, he dropped to third and went from believing he was setting up life in Orange County, California to Ohio.
Fantilli moved on quickly and signed his Entry Level Contract (ELC) with the Blue Jackets and it is expected that he will get a shot at making the team out of training camp.
By acquiring Fantilli, he could fit nicely on the Maple Leafs as his ELC would help keep the cap down for the team over the next three years, with the 2024-25 season being the most important.
Fantilli could be the future center behind Auston Matthews
Coach Sheldon Keefe could bring him in now as the third line center to likely play between Max Domi and Calle Järnkrok, while also preparing him to take over the center position from John Tavares.
While Fantilli is projected to be a top six NHL player, nothing is guaranteed, however the Blue Jackets would be getting a 27-year old 40-goal, 80-point player. In addition to Fantilli, the Maple Leafs would get right handed shot defensive prospect David Jiricek.
The 2022 sixth overall selection came over to North America after being drafted out of the Czech hockey league and he played all but four games in the AHL.
This may be a lot to obtain from the Blue Jackets as both players are two of their top prospects, but Columbus would be obtaining a cornerstone piece for their organization in the midst of his prime.