NHL Prospect Profile: Liam Foudy

Statistics

Scout Quotes

Foudy has games where he is dominant. He can be dangerous on every shift, and look like the best player on the ice. He also has games where he is near invisible and does not create much. These seemed to be fewer in the latter half of the year. However, still could work on being more consistent game-in and game-out.

Foudy has played both centre and wing, but his second-half explosion came after a move to left wing. If he can work on his faceoffs and defensive game, he has the offensive skills to be a top-six centre at the next level. Foudy also needs to improve his shot. He is a bit of a project, but the elite skating and strong puckhandling skills make him a risk worth taking. Next season will be huge for Foudy, as big things are expected out of him in London. – Last Word on Hockey

AJ’s Thoughts

This is an interesting guy. Tough evaluation here because he was just so-so early on in the year as London struggled to find an identity with a grip of veteran players. They soon recognized it wasn’t working and began selling off their stars, pushing Foudy into a bigger role. He responded with an explosion of offense in the second half of the season and began putting his impressive array of skills together on a consistent basis.

While he may get drafted in the hopes of sticking as a center, his move to the wing was part of his transition from middling player to potential first-round pick. He’s an exceptional athlete and it shows up on the ice via his incredible skating and great hands. His second half could put him into the first round and it would be hard to really argue with it.

Highlights

Avalanche Fit

Hooo boy. This is a tough one. On one hand, he had an amazing second half of the season and he’s the kind of projectable athlete that has enormous potential. If he lives up to it, he’s a legitimate star center in the NHL and we all look back and wonder what the hell happened that caused so many teams to pass on him. If he doesn’t, he could be a guy that gets overdrafted on the basis of a small number of games and a scouting director could easily lose his job. At 16, it’s probably a little too early for Foudy but at least you could sell the potential. His speed next to MacKinnon would create an insane combination of speed and skill. If Colorado could move back a bit in the first round, he should be somebody they target. If all hell breaks loose (and given the extremely volatile nature of this class, it’s possible) and Foudy drops to the second round, Alan Hepple should waste no time in announcing him as the selection at 47. Under no circumstances should he be allowed to drop beyond that (he won’t).

Rankings

#49 Future Considerations
#25 McKeen’s Hockey