Columbus Blue Jackets: Liam Foudy Solid at Wold Junior Summer Showcase

Columbus Blue Jackets top pick had a solid showing at the World Junior Summer Showcase.

Liam Foudy was a late addition to Team Canada’s cadre of U-20 players to the annual World Junior Summer Showcase. The Columbus Blue Jackets 1st round pick certainly increased his stock within Hockey Canada. But it is still a long shot for the speedster to land a spot on Team Canada’s WJC team that will compete in Vancouver and Victoria at the end of the year.

Although he was a late addition, Foudy found himself deployed with some great skaters and had solid ice time. The tournament starts with split-squad games where Foudy played well enough to find himself on the top line of Canada’s combines squad.

In the final three games of the tournmant, Foudy racked up four assist. His speed was on full display in the tournament and it caught the eyes of many around the hockey world including ESPN’s prospect writer Chris Peters.

Foudy blazed past many players over the tournament including Vancouver Canucks prospect Toni Utunen in Canada’s game against Finland. Utunen looks like he he is skating on quicksand as Foudy blazes by the Finnish defenseman.

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Foudy clearly has NHL level speed and the scoring touch is coming along. He created a plethora of opportunities for his teammates at the WJSS but he won’t be ready for the NHL until his scoring becomes more consistent.

Hockey Canada will have to whittle down their list of 40 players at the WJSS to just 23 for the World Juniors in December. Foudy certainly helped himself out but will need to have a great first half of the season in London to make the team that will look to defend it’s Gold medal from Buffalo.

The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Emil Bemstrom also was at the tournament and had an average tournament. Sweden’s only win of the final three games was over rival Finland. Bemstrom did score a great wrap-around goal in that matchup to help the Swede’s escape with at least one win.

Bemstrom is likely to make the WJC team for Sweden. He will head back to the SHL this season and look to build upon his impressive 2017-2018 season.

Prospect watch will take a break for a few weeks until the Columbus Blue Jackets head to Northern Michigan for the annual Traverse City Prospect Tournament in early September.