PRESEASON GAME 2: Foudy ready for another memorable experience in debut

Liam Foudy has done a lot of cool stuff since the Blue Jackets selected him 18th overall at the 2018 NHL Draft this summer in Dallas.
Since then, he's taken part in his first NHL development camp, played for Canada at the 2018 World Junior Summer Showcase in Kamloops, B.C., helped the Jackets win the 2018 Traverse City NHL Prospects Tournament and then got his first taste of NHL training camp in Columbus.
Next up is playing his first preseason game for the Blue Jackets, who will start him out at second-line center against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday at Nationwide Arena (7 p.m., Fox Sports Go, BlueJackets.com, 1460 ESPN Radio).
"I think I've had a long, good summer with a lot of playing, and I think going to [Traverse City] helped me get ready for this - playing some game action, [with] speed, and I think I'll be ready for today," Foudy said. "I'm definitely going to try and use my speed as much as I can. That's my No. 1 asset, so I'm going to go out there and try to skate as much as possible and use my speed."

Foudy is most likely ticketed for another season of junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), where he's one of the London Knights' top centers. First, however, there's the matter of playing an NHL preseason game in Columbus - with two NHL players, Boone Jenner and Josh Anderson, flanking him as wingers.
"Playing on the second line with those two is going to be pretty fun," said Foudy, whose parents will watch online back in Scarborough, Ont. "I'm usually pretty calm, so I don't think I'll be that nervous, but there will be some nerves there."
Maybe some tired legs too.
Like a lot of first-timers to Blue Jackets training camp, Foudy's had an eye-opening experience going through the intense physical conditioning regimen instituted by coach John Tortorella. Being 18-years old, however, seems to help.
"I'm feeling pretty good right now," he said. "I've done some pretty good recovery in the last two days, so I'm not too tired right now. 'Torts' definitely runs a pretty tough camp here, so guys have some heavy legs and are feeling pretty tired, but I'm ready to go for tonight."
#CBJ SPOTLIGHT ON: Michael Prapavessis, D
It's been a good two weeks for Prapavessis, who helped the Blue Jackets win the 2018 Traverse City Prospects Tournament (Sept. 7-11) as a free-agent invitee and earned another invitation to NHL training camp in Columbus.
Prapavessis became a free agent Aug. 15, when he didn't sign an entry-level contract with the Dallas Stars after playing four seasons of college hockey with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY.
The Stars originally selected him in the fourth round (No. 105) in the 2014 NHL Draft. The Blue Jackets expressed their interest in him to his agent this summer and Prapavessis liked what he saw in the opportunity Columbus offered.
"I just wanted to get an honest look and I feel like this was a good place for that," he said. "My agent said they have good feedback and scouting reports on me, and I just felt like it was a good opportunity to go to a rookie tournament like that and kind of showcase my abilities. I'm glad the way things have kind of turned out so far, and I just keep trying to make a name for myself and keep trying to play well."
Prapavessis carried his solid play into training camp, where he's shown his ability to move the puck and play solidly at the left point during scrimmages. Against the Blackhawks, in his NHL preseason debut, Prapavessis will play on that point on the first defense pairing and play with Seth Jones - a Norris Trophy contender.
"It's not a bad [defense] partner to have," Prapavessis said, smiling. "Today in pre-game skate we skated together a little bit. We snapped the puck around. I imagine he's an easy player to play with and I'm looking forward to it."
OTHER PROSPECTS TO WATCH: F Eric Robinson; C Kevin Stenlund; F Kole Sherwood; D Ryan Collins; D Dillon Simpson; G Joseph Raaymakers
BLACKHAWKS TO WATCH: Chicago isn't bringing any of its superstars to Columbus, but there will be an interesting collection of prospects on the ice for the Blackhawks. Also, former Blue Jackets forward Artem Anisimov will play, centering the top line and playing with two highly-regarded prospects - Victor Edjsell and Dylan Sikura.
Edjsell was acquired in a trade with the Nashville Predators around the NHL Trade Deadline last season that sent Ryan Hartman to Nashville, while Sikura is entering his first full year of professional hockey - after putting up big numbers the past two seasons at Northeastern University.
Chicago's defensive lineup is intriguing, as well. Two first-round picks will play, with Henri Jokiharuju (2017, No. 29 overall) playing the right side of the second pairing and Adam Boqvist (2018, No. 8 overall) skating on the right for the third pairing.
UPDATE ON 'Z': Defenseman Zach Werenski hasn't been cleared for contact in practice yet, but he's meeting with a doctor Thursday to get another examination done on his surgically-repaired left shoulder. If he gets clearance for contact, Werenski hopes to play in one of the Blue Jackets' final six preseason games.
"I think if it was up to the doctors, they probably wouldn't want me to play in the preseason," said Werenski, who had his labrum and rotator cuff repaired in the spring. "We still have to talk about that, but I definitely want to get in one game, maybe two, to get my feet under me. You can practice all you want but there's nothing like a real game and getting that conditioning level back. My goal is to play in one preseason game. It's looking good right now and I guess we'll have to wait and see."
PROJECTED LINEUPS
BLACKHAWKS
Forwards
Victor Ejdsell - Artem Anisimov - Dylan Sikura
John Hayden - Marcus Kruger - Andreas Martinsen
Alexandre Fortin - Philipp Kurashev - Matthew Highmore
Nathan Noel - Henrik Samuelsson - Dominik Kahun
Defensemen
Erik Gustafsson - Carl Dahlstrom
Blake Hillman - Henri Jokiharju
Brandon Davidson - Adam Boqvist
Goalies
Cam Ward
Collin Delia
\\*
BLUE JACKETS
Forwards
Nick Foligno - Alex Wennberg - Cam Atkinson
Boone Jenner - Liam Foudy - Josh Anderson
Zac Dalpe - Riley Nash - Eric Robinson
Lukas Sedlak - Kevin Stenlund - Kole Sherwood
Defensemen
Michael Prapavessis - Seth Jones
Ryan Murray - Gabriel Carlsson
Dillon Simpson - Ryan Collins
Goalies
J-F Berube
Joseph Raaymakers