THREE THINGS: Cornerstone Piece

On February 16, 2020, the New Jersey Devils acquired a player that will eventually become one of the foundational pieces of the future Devils roster. When Tom Fitzgerald made the swap, sending Blake Coleman to Tampa Bay, Nolan Foote became a key prospect in finalizing the deal. The son of former NHL player Adam Foote, Nolan is joining a New Jersey organization hungry for young budding talent and with his abilities at the wing position is primed to make an impact on the Devils rosters to come.

Here are Three Things presented by Wawa.

1. THE CORNERSTONE TRADE

The moment the deal was struck, Nolan Foote became one of the Devils most coveted prospects.

When Foote was traded to New Jersey, General Manager Tom Fitzgerald described him as a foundational cornerstone moving forward for the franchise. Immediately, Foote entered an organization full of budding young talent, with highly skilled centermen. His ability, size, and strength on the wing will work as perfect compliments to the likes of Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes.

"Nico and Jack aren't the biggest, bulkiest players," Craig Button, TSN's Director of Scouting told the Speak of the Devils podcast. "Nolan's big, he's assertive, he gets in and around the net and he becomes very difficult to be able to stop. And I think there's been tremendous progress in Nolan's game over the last year. Like all players, I see it again and again, and again, they all want to show you that they can do everything. Well, there are no players that can do everything. And I think that Nolan really settled in to be exactly who he is. And I think that's going to be an outstanding, complementary winger for Jack or Nico in the lineup."

2. BORN IN THE USA, PLAYS FOR CANADA

Despite being born in the United States, when father Adam Foote was playing and captaining the Colorado Avalanche, Nolan suits up for Team Canada at international tournaments. At around 15-years-old, Foote received his Canadian citizenship and remains a duel citizen of both Canada and the United States. His parents, Adam and Jennifer, are both Canadian citizens paving way for Nolan and his brother, both born in the US, to apply for their Canadian passports.

Nolan chose to follow once again in his father's footsteps, electing to play with Team Canada. Adam competed several times with the maple leaf crest, including winning gold at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

"I chose to play for Canada in the World Juniors because I wanted to wear the Maple Leaf on my jersey," Foote told NJ.com in April. "My dad played a big factor with that because he had success wearing the Maple Leaf, winning Gold in the 2002 Winter Olympics."

Since then, Nolan has suited up twice now with Team Canada, most recently winning a gold medal at the 2020 World Junior Championship where he scored three goals and two assists in the tournaments seven games, all while racking up 29 penalty minutes.

3. SHOOTS HIS SHOT

Foote not only possesses an envious size, but his shot is also an enviable trait of his game as well. His shot is large and booming and will serve him well once he reaches the NHL game.

"He scores goals, he's got an NHL shot already, he turns pro next year so we'll get to see him quicker," General Manager Tom Fitzgerald said of the Kelowna Rockets captain.

With that professional experience and guidance, he'll only see his shot further develop.

"I saw him this summer at the World Juniors camp and I was extremely impressed with the size, the hands around the net, and definitely the shot," Fitzgerald continued, "Those type of players don't grow on trees so when that's being offered to you, you have to think. You really do."

AND ONE MORE THING...

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