Cosentino talks Fantilli as No. 2 pick on 'NHL Draft Class' podcast

The 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held June 28-29 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The first round will be June 28 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS), and rounds 2-7 are June 29 (11 a.m. ET; NHLN, SN, TVAS). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects, podcasts and other features. NHL.com's full draft coverage can be found here.

As much as Connor Bedard is a lock to go to the Chicago Blackhawks with the No. 1 pick of the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft, the same feeling is there for Adam Fantilli to go No. 2 to the Anaheim Ducks, according to Sportsnet analyst Sam Cosentino.

Cosentino, appearing on the latest episode of the "NHL Draft Class" podcast, said Fantilli, the University of Michigan center who won the Hobey Baker Award as the top NCAA men's hockey player, is the exact kind of player the Ducks need.

Fantilli (6-foot-2, 195 pounds) led all NCAA players with 65 points (30 goals, 35 assists) in 36 games as an 18-year-old freshman, and also won the gold medal with Canada at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship and the 2023 IIHF World Championship.

"I'd have a hard time seeing Fantilli not go No. 2, so that's the way I think it's going to go," Cosentino said. "You've got a big center, you've got all kinds of point production, you've got some leadership capabilities. You've got a guy who can play with a little bump in his game and in that tough Western Conference. I can't see the Ducks going any other way."

Cosentino covered several other topics during his discussion with co-hosts Adam Kimelman and Mike G. Morreale, including when SKA St. Petersburg forward Matvei Michkov could be selected.

Michkov had 20 points (nine goals, 11 assists) in 30 games on loan to Sochi in the Kontinental Hockey League, but his KHL contract runs through the 2025-26 season.

"I think the conversations start with Montreal at No. 5," Cosentino said. "They're on a timeline that would fit Matvei Michkov. I don't think that's the area they're going to go but Arizona (at No. 6) is an interesting choice because with pick No. 12 they're still going to get a really good player there. ... I'm going to project him to go to Washington (at No. 8) and the reasons are obvious for that. There's too much risk involved for the teams in front, except for maybe Arizona, which does have the 12th pick."

The podcast is free, and listeners can subscribe on all podcast platforms, including iTunes, Spotify and Google Podcasts. It also is available on NHL.com/multimedia/podcasts and the NHL app.

Listen: New episode of NHL Draft Class