Thanks to the over 80 of you who voted in our poll! We combined your votes and the writers’ votes and our Top 25 Under 25 countdown continues today:
#5: Liam Foudy
Voting
5th out of 34 eligible players
Writers’ Vote: 5th
Readers’ Vote: 5th
Highest Placement: 2nd (2 votes)
Most Common Placement: 6th (18 votes)
Biography
Birthdate: February 4th, 2000
Birthplace: Toronto, ON, Canada
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 181 lbs
Position: Center
Acquired: 1st round (18th overall) of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft; Columbus Blue Jackets
2018-19 Season
Liam Foudy had himself a year during the 2018-19 season. While with the London Knights (OHL), Foudy had an average of a bit more than a point per game in the regular season (68pts over 62 games) and playoffs (12pts over 11 games).
Due to the Cleveland Monsters scoring struggles, it was a no brainer to call Foudy up after the Knights playoff run.
Personally, I thought it was a pretty gutsy move by the Jackets to bring a guy to the Monstees during playoffs when he has zero clue how the system works. Foudy’s first game was a bit dicey as his positioning and speed were off. He seemed to be observing more than he was playing. At that time, I felt as though maybe he wasnt ready for the big league.
BUT THEN Foudy came out in a blaze of glory to help the Monsters move on to the second round of the playoffs by scoring two goals in a 3-0 shutout.
Playing with Zac Dalpe and Ryan Macinnis allowed us to see his speed. However, playing with Sonny Milano and Mark Letestu allowed us to see Foudy’s scoring prowess.
Foudy is a first liner through and through. There is no doubt about it.
2019-20 Forecast
At the rate Foudy is going, we could see him making a splash in Columbus by the end of the 2019-20 season. I hope the centers are paying attention to how Foudy is playing. He is gunning for their job and will likely get it with ease.
A strong start for Foudy in preseason would likely mean a spot on the opening night roster in Columbus.