Welcome to the second day of the 2018 NHL Draft, as Rounds 2-7 are held in Dallas, starting at 11 a.m. NHL Network has the TV coverage. You can stream it here.
The Jackets picked a center last night. Which positions do you think they’ll target today?
Blue Jackets Picks
(Will be updated throughout the day; picks subject to change as trades may occur)
Round 1, 18th overall pick: Liam Foudy, C, London Knights (OHL)
Round 2, 49th overall pick: Kirill Marchenko, RW, SKA-St. Petersburg (KHL)
Round 3, 80th overall pick: Marcus Karlberg, LW/RW, Leksands IF (SuperElit)
Round 4: No pick
Round 5: No pick
Round 6, 159th overall pick (via Detroit): Tim Berni, D, GC Küsnacht Lions (Switzerland)
Round 6, 173rd overall pick: Veini Vehilainen, G, Karpat (Liiga)
Round 7, 204th overall pick: Trey Fix-Wolansky, RW, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)
Round 1 Recap:
We’ve learned by this point to always expect the unexpected from GM Jarmo Kekalainen. Just as he did two years ago, he pulled off another first round surprise. Then it was Pierre-Luc Dubois instead of Jesse Puljujarvi. Last night it was Liam Foudy, someone not projected to go so high. I get the sense that Jarmo cares more about getting his staff’s favorite remaining player more than he cares about that player’s value. I like to trade down in a case like this, but if he believes in Foudy, then I don’t blame him from getting his guy.
As for Foudy, you have to love his speed. His hockey skills need development, but you can’t teach athleticism. There’s an argument to be made for adding a guy like this rather than someone with elite hockey sense who has already maxed out physically. I would have preferred a player like Joe Veleno, who has a lower ceiling but would have a chance of helping the team this season, even if only as a bottom 6 forward. The window to contend is open now, so I’m not as excited about players who can help in 3-5 years.
Here’s what others are saying about the pick:
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
This seems to be a little bit of a reach by Columbus at No. 18, but Foudy is one of the fastest skaters in the draft. He’s also one of most athletic players in the class, as his mother was an Olympic sprinter and his dad a CFL player. The Blue Jackets are banking on his ability to harness that raw athleticism and develop his two-way game a bit more. – Pete Blackburn, CBS Sports
NHL Central Scouting: No. 19 (North American skaters)
Foudy (6-0, 173) made one of the biggest jumps in NHL Central Scouting’s final list of North American skaters, jumping from No. 91 at the midterm. He had 40 points (24 goals, 16 assists), four game-winning goals and five shorthanded goals, and won 47 percent of his face-offs in 65 games. He has good speed, quickness, hockey sense and a consistent work ethic to play an effective two-way game.
NHL.com analysis: Skating is his strongest asset, and he used it to score five shorthanded goals. His speed comes naturally; his mother, France, won a silver medal for Canada in the 4-x-100 relay at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. When given more ice time in the second half of the season, Foudy had 33 points (20 goals, 13 assists) in his final 30 games. – NHL.com