Since the Blue Jackets selected Liam Foudy with the No. 18 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, he's played in 89 NHL regular season games over five seasons, scoring seven goals and 19 points in addition to a goal and two points in 10 playoff games. In 2022-23, he saw the most NHL action of his career thus far, playing in 62 games and scoring seven goals and 14 points.
#CBJ Foudy (3) goal pic.twitter.com/Dcwetp9elI
— Coby Maeir (@CobyMaeir) March 8, 2023
What will Foudy's role be this season?
The Blue Jackets' surplus of forwards has been well documented. Just about seven weeks from training camp, there might be a glut of bottom-six forwards that includes Foudy, who will be one of several players competing for just six spots. For more on who those players could be, click on the highlighted words for my colleague Dan Dukart's analysis of the third and fourth lines for the upcoming season.
Foudy has the tools to be a successful NHL bottom-six forward. He's fast, forechecks well, and has enough offensive ability for a fourth-line player.
A competitive training camp is going to determine whether or not Foudy, who would have to clear waivers before being sent to the AHL, will even make the team. But, if last season was any indication, he'll be ready to play in that role.
What is his offensive ceiling?
It took Foudy 63 regular season games, including 36 this season, to record his first NHL goal. But, he finished the 2022-23 season scoring seven goals in 27 games, which is a 21-goal pace over an 82-game season. Maybe Foudy started receiving lucky bounces to end the season, or maybe he found an offensive touch. Either way, the ship has probably sailed on him being a top-six forward in the NHL, but that doesn't mean he can't be an effective NHL player. There's no reason he can't score 10-to-15 goals a year playing in the bottom six, which is something that the Blue Jackets, or any other team for that matter, would welcome.
#CBJ Foudy (6) goal pic.twitter.com/2cAmLSFi69
— Coby Maeir (@CobyMaeir) March 25, 2023
Will Foudy be a long-term Blue Jacket?
While he has just one year left on his current deal, Foudy still has four more seasons before he will be an unrestricted free agent in 2027, so he still has time to make his mark on the Blue Jackets and prove that he should be a part of the long-term future in Columbus. However, with the surplus of forwards that are already competing for roster spots, plus the prospects coming up the pipeline in the next few years, it wouldn't be surprising to see Foudy donning another jersey in the not-too-distant future.
#CBJ Foudy (7) goal pic.twitter.com/8cSVAm5hkG
— Coby Maeir (@CobyMaeir) April 11, 2023
Regardless of what happens in the future, Foudy had a nice second half of the season in 2022-23 that gave a glimpse into what type of player he could be down the road.
