Montgomery, too, sees a player that is free of some of the obstacles that obstructed him heading into last season.
"I know that looking at last year, I don't think he was happy with how it went, for his own play I'm talking about. But the thing you have to realize when you sit back is, he had a big surgery in the offseason and didn't get to train the way he wants to," said Montgomery.
"You move to a new city - and these aren't excuses, but it is reality - you've moved here with your family and your wife, and you have kids…so you're overcoming a lot. You didn't get to train the way you want. You're making sure your family's comfortable - and he's a great family man - that's going to occupy part of your brain."
As such, Montgomery is hopeful that Foligno's blend of leadership off the ice and hard work on the ice will make him a valuable asset in the bottom six.
"Someone that has great leadership and someone that we're looking for to help create a clear identity on the third or fourth line as far as puck possession, being hard on people, being relentless on top of pucks," said Montgomery.
"I expect him to be a big part of what we do this year. And because of those things, I think he's playing a lot freer and he's getting on top of pucks. He's creating a lot of loose pucks. He's getting to the net front, and that's where he's made his whole career is at the net front in that third circle between the two circles where goals are scored."
Knowing that he's in a different role at this stage of his career, Foligno is aiming to grab hold of whatever tasks Montgomery puts in front of him.
"Last year, that was the hardest part was trying to find a role," said Foligno. "And then once I found one, it was just making sure we were good. And I thought that was the fourth line. We were a really solid line a lot of nights. So, yeah, the goals are important - and then when you have the opportunities, you've got to bury, that's part of this league. But it's also what do you do away from the puck, especially in the role you're asked - and I'm in a different role in my career now.
"It's making sure that I'm doing the things necessary to allow our line to be really good each and every night, but also helping the other guys that are doing the hard work and those guys whose jobs are to get the goals and whatnot. I still expect myself to bring offensive production. I know I can. That was disappointing last year, but I'm looking forward to doing that this year."
