Columbus Blue Jackets Preseason Game #2: Four Players to Watch

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DALLAS, TX – JUNE 22: The Columbus Blue Jackets draft Liam Foudy in the first round of the 2018 NHL draft on June 22, 2018 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

How can you not be fired up to see Liam Foudy play? The Columbus Blue Jackets first round pick from this year’s draft will make his debut in a sanctioned NHL game tonight against the Blackhawks and look to show us why the Jackets took him 18th overall.

The pick was a surprise to many but in prospect camp and the Traverse City tournament it has been easy to see why the Jackets took Foudy. He has incredible speed that can’t be taught and is a freak athlete. He has a great hockey sense and makes solid plays on the offensive and defensive ends of the ice.

Related Story. Draft Profile- Liam Foudy. light

Foudy came on strong in the second half of his OHL season in 2018 and has kept the momentum rolling. Tonight will be a great test of how far away from being NHL ready he is. He should play with an NHLer on his wing, if not two.

The big thing to look for is how his finishing abilities and face-off skills look. Those are the two biggest knocks on his game at the moment. He is so fast that his hands have a hard time keeping up with his feet and that leads to trouble finishing around the net.

The conventional wisdom around the NHL was that Jarmo and company reached for the center Foudy. We know how that worked out with the last center the league thought Jarmo reached on. Foudy will look to continue the trend of surprise young centerman in Columbus. Get excited to see the Jackets 1st rounder out on the ice in union blue tonight.

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