When it came down to their pick, the Blue Jackets knew what they wanted.
They made London Knights (OHL) center Liam Foudy the No. 18 overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. Known for his speed and offense, Foudy was praised highly by NBC and TSN analysts just after the pick was announced.
"He's going to get opportunities in open ice with that speed," said TSN and NBC Sports draft analyst Craig Button. "His improvement was pretty significant. When you look at where the Blue Jackets have offense...he fits in quite nicely."
"This is, bar none, one of the most athletic kids in the NHL Draft. He blew things away at the NHL Combine," said TSN hockey insider Bob McKenzie.
Foudy soared late in the draft season; he was No. 91 on Central Scouting's midterm rankings and kept climbing with a blistering end-of-season stretch and postseason. He finished 19th in the final rankings.
Foudy. We have him in the 2nd round. I was a big fan of his in #OHLDraft year. Speed to burn. He flicked a switch after Top Prospects game and played great all the way to seasons end. Tested great at combine.
— Mark Edwards (@MarkEdwardsHP) June 23, 2018
Pick No. 18 is the latest original first-round pick in Blue Jackets history; they've previously traded back to No. 21 to select defenseman John Moore in 2009.
Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones, a Dallas native who spends part of his offseason in town, announced the team's pick.
