Despite being known for his speed, Jean-Luc Foudy's path to the NHL is going to take some time

Colorado Avalanche prospect Jean-Luc Foudy has many tools in his tool kit. The projection for his development has required faith and imagination, but not without cause. This 10th overall pick in the 2018 OHL Draft led all rookies in assists in his first junior season and would still have eligibility to remain in the OHL today without a worldwide pandemic interrupting his future.

Things are a bit different with Foudy.

The OHL’s 41st season was set to begin in September 2020 but was ultimately canceled due to concerns surrounding the pandemic. He played 10 games with Mörrums GoIS in the third-tier Swedish hockey league before coming to Colorado to kick-off his first pro-season with the Colorado Eagles.

Even his first season as an 18-year-old was shortened to 34 games due to COVID-19. He put up 14 points in 34 games.

He was selected 75th in the third round of the 2020 draft and has already passed his point total from last season. In Tuesday’s home game against the Henderson Knights, Foudy earned his 15th point, finding Justin Barron at the point and leaving a quick pass for Barron to send to the net for a Cal Burke tip-in.

It was the kind of play that captures some of his strengths and weaknesses. The things he does well, he does really well.

“People notice him because he carries the puck a lot,” Eagles head coach Greg Cronin said. “He’s a young kid. He’s trying to mature into not just a puck carrier, but a puck distributor. He’s gotta move the puck and move off the puck.”

He moves the puck up ice easily – puck possession and puck control are not his weaknesses. He looks to make transitions, chomping at the bit to use his blazing speed to move through and past the oppositions’ forecheck. When the puck is on his stick, his speed grants him allowances in the offensive zone.

He buzzes around just outside the slot, creating plays by sending high-risk, but complete passes to his linemates. This works by drawing defenders from the netfront – using his speed as a threat. It can open up passing lanes if skaters do engage him, but it limits him to the perimeter.  From here his shot quality suffers, but his passing, should he choose to accept, remains promising.

“His challenge as he’s going forward is, ‘Can he get to the inside of the ice?’” Cronin said. “The inside-30 ice, with the puck or without the puck, to be a scoring threat because a lot of his game is carrying on the outside of the ice and he’s gotta get more of that inner-third part of the game into his puck carrying and puck receiving.”

It sounds simple enough, and for Cronin it boils down to this, a point he reiterates from earlier: “He’s a puck carrier but he’s got to learn to be a puck distributor too.”

His linemates have fluctuated throughout the season, as is the nature of the AHL, so the creative component of his game – a unique vision that measures scoring opportunities and finds sudden passing lanes – requires a line that can anticipate some of this creativity.

His game is simple, but this is where he can expand on how he distributes the puck – adapting to the stylistic motifs of his receivers and playing to their strengths and limitations.

He’s unafraid. At 5’11”, 175 lbs. the 19-year-old does not appear out of place physically.

“He’s strong in his skates. He’s strong on the puck,” Cronin said.

His speed allows him to slip through tight spaces. While much of his game takes place just outside the circles, there are glimpses of him bravely driving to the netfront, calmly navigating the chaos by evading skaters.

Foudy recognizes this strength too.

“My biggest attribute is skating,” Foudy said. “That’s what I use every game to the best of my ability; and then, things that come with that is playmaking, finding guys backdoor, and just really relying on my skating.”

His utilization has been varied, so his development has been unfolding gradually, but this was to be expected – with a junior-aged prospect in the unchartered waters of developing in the AHL, there is no rush.

He is consistently seeing looks on PP2 and a personal goal for this season is to get over 0.5 points a game. Because much of his current game relies on passing, it is important to build chemistry.

This is one challenge that will force him to grow by adapting to changing lines and generally shooting more on his own. Fortunately, he has a unique eye for the game. He sees opportunities I think many wouldn’t.

He describes his own assets as his “skating and creativity – being able to see the ice and make plays.”

It might be hard to see the bigger picture, but the reality is an 18-year-old with some of the best skating of his draft year fell to the third round and came to Colorado’s doorsteps with plenty to work on and a professional stage to challenge him.

It’s as if he’s begun taking a test and so far he’s written his name and date at the top. We can’t begin to grade his test until he starts answering the questions.

“It’s been amazing since I got here,” Foudy said. “The staff, my teammates, everyone around has been great since I came in as an 18-year-old – it’s just been amazing and I love the city.”

Not only has coming to Colorado had an impact on him, but the importance of being drafted to the Colorado Avalanche is felt too.

“It was a huge accomplishment for me and for my family. It was exciting to be drafted to such a great organization.”

When asked about Foudy’s future and if he imagined an NHL mid-to-bottom six role for him in the future, Cronin captured some thoughts perfectly.

“He certainly has the talent to. He’s nineteen years old so there’s a lot of growth there. Think about it, he could be a sophomore in college right now,” Cronin explained.

“I think he’s got a high ceiling, but he’s got to do a lot of work outside of his natural ability to get there.” 

With improvement in mind, Foudy described “always trying to work on everything” and mentioned working towards the possibility of getting looks on the penalty kill in the future.

Becoming more reliable in the defensive zone would be a huge addition to his game. He has the speed to plug up shooting and passing lanes if he can get the positioning right. He has pretty sharp clarity in the offensive zone, but in his own end, things can be a little foggier, floating just a bit.

Beyond his speed, his tenacity could make him a real terror. I envision a player that can draw penalties, tie up sticks (which I have seen him successfully do), and shut down players if he can activate his speed and boldness at will.

For Foudy, the category of “areas to improve on” may seem longer than others, but it is so early in his development and he possesses raw skills that will be fun to build upon. We’re tuning in to this thing a little early, so keep an eye on this one. Despite being from a family of speed skaters, patience is going to be required to get the best out of Jean-Luc Foudy.