Liam Foudy's name was called a bit earlier than most expected last night. And based on his reaction, it might've been before even he expected as well.
Foudy was the 18th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft last night by the Blue Jackets, and it's custom that unexpected moves in any sport usually bring about hot takes on the Twitter machine.
But if we learned anything from the Pierre-Luc-Dubois pick from 2016, we all may want to pump the brakes on saying anything incredibly declarative about Foudy until we know a little more about the kid, and even give him a chance at camp.
Name: Liam Foudy
Age: 18
From: Ontario, Canada
Position: Center
Shoots: Left
Height/Weight: 6-foot, 174 lbs.
Most recent teams: London Knights (2016-2018), Canada U-18 (2018)
Notable numbers:
London Knights (2017-2018): 24 goals, 16 assists, 40 points, 65 games played.
Canada U-18 (2 goals, 2 assists, 4 points, 5 games played.
What some are saying:
"Foudy was a massive riser in the second half, and if you believe in some of the things he showed after the OHL trade deadline, he’s a good player. The skills/IQ don’t justify it for me at No. 18, but he’s one of the top 2-3 speedsters in the class. If you think the rest of the skill set catches up, he could be very good, and some scouts I’ve talked to do believe in him a lot." - Corey Pronman, The Athletic
"I was a big fan of his (in the OHL). Speed to burn. He flicked a switch after the 'Top Prospects' game and played great all the way to seasons end. Tested great at combine." - Mark Edwards, analyst on NHL Network Radio's Prospect Show
"Early on the in the year, we saw what we thought was a top-end player and his playing time was really limited...But as we saw him play and as his playing time went up, he showed us what we thought he was and even more from what the beginning of the year said. He's earned his status to be a first-round rank for us." - David Gregory, senior manager for Central Scouting
From the man himself:
"Speed is the biggest part of my game. I use that to the best of my ability. And I think I'm a smart hockey player. Those are the two biggest things I have in my game." - Liam Foudy (Quote via Steve Gorten, The Columbus Dispatch).
More notes:
- According to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline, Foudy was ranked 91st among North American skaters at mid-season of his latest OHL year with the London Knights, per NHL Central Scouting. He ended the season at No. 19.
- Blue Jackets scouts Ville Siren and Chris Morehouse estimate they scouted Foudy in 50-60 games this past season. Said that Foudy's skating is already NHL caliber, and that he was one of the best skaters in the entire OHL.
- At the NHL Draft Combine, Foudy recorded the best mark in the standing long jump, vertical jump, and no arm jump. (TSN)
- Foudy’s mother, France Gareau, anchored Canada’s silver medal-winning 4 x 100 m relay team at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. His father, Sean Foudy, played six seasons in the Canadian Football League as a defensive back with the Ottawa Rough Riders and B.C. Lions. Now, we might have a bit of an idea where his speed comes from. (NHL.com)
