With the Blue Jackets restocking their forward lines after losing unrestricted free agents Artemi Panarin, Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel and signing Gustav Nyquist, there will be openings, and Foudy will be after one of them at training camp in September.
"Every year you have to come in trying to make the team," Foudy said during Blue Jackets development camp in June. "If you don't have that mentality, you won't make the team. If you don't think you have a chance, you won't have a chance."
Foudy (6-foot, 175 pounds) had 68 points (36 goals, 32 assists) in 62 games last season for London of the Ontario Hockey League. He is known for his quickness, especially his first two strides, but Blue Jackets director of player personnel Chris Clark said Foudy needs to improve in several areas before he can be considered NHL-ready.
"He's got speed, but if you're fast, it doesn't matter, a defenseman can judge speed," Clark said. "It's the change of speed. That's something he's been working on the last year or so that we've been talking to him about.
"Also, using his speed all the time. He doesn't realize how fast he is, how scary that is for a defenseman or a defender to see that speed. He's got to challenge defensemen, challenge guys, take pucks to the net. That's something he's developed over the last half of [last] season as well."