When the Columbus Blue Jackets selected Liam Foudy with the 18th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, the initial reaction from many fans was: who?
A bit off the board by many lists, the one thing that it seemed like most every scout would agree on was Foudy's tantalizing speed. In today's NHL, speed is a weapon, and the Blue Jackets understand that they need to stockpile it.
But make no mistake, Foudy is more than just a missile on skates. His recent invitation to the World Junior Summer Showcase, a competition for many of the top U20 players in the world, illustrates that. So, too, does his placement on the top line against Finland.
Canada roster for tonight's game vs. Finland. 9 p.m. ET on NHL Network and TSN2 pic.twitter.com/deAdzSO9lt
— Adam Kimelman (@NHLAdamK) August 3, 2018
Many observers left with the same takeaway after watching his first two games, against Finland and Sweden. Here's a sampling from the social media reaction on twitter:
#WJSS: C Liam Foudy (CBJ 1st/2018) races to the puck and gets a shot on net, where RHD Noah Dobson (NYI 1st/2018) pops in the rebound. Canada up 2-1 on Finland early in the 2nd. pic.twitter.com/1YgYwFZzhk
— Steve Kournianos (@TheDraftAnalyst) August 3, 2018
Chris Peters, who writes prospects analysis for ESPN, also had high praise for the young speedster.
Canada up 2-1 after 2. Noah Dobson (NYI) crashed the net for a rebound. One of the most fun aspects of this game is watching the elite speed of both Liam Foudy (CBJ) and Rasmus Kupari (LAK). Absolute missiles going up the ice. Difficult for defenders to stay with.
— Chris Peters (@chrismpeters) August 3, 2018
Brendan Ross, a scout for the OHL London Knights (the team Foudy plays for), daydreaming as any of us would:
If only we could all skate like Liam Foudy
— Brendan Ross (@RossyYoungblood) August 3, 2018
Toni Utunen (#Canucks ) misses the pass back to the point and is no match for the speed of Liam Foudy (#CBJ ) pic.twitter.com/rw9pZDY8Vv
— Hockey Guy (@FlyingSkate94) August 3, 2018
Foudy sure seems to be trending in the right direction, and with his high-end speed, we could be seeing him in Columbus in the not-so-far future.
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