Draft notebook: Second-half surge boosted Foudy's draft stock

When NHL Central Scouting Services released their midterm prospect rankings for the 2018 NHL Draft back in January, Liam Foudy was listed 91st among North American skaters. Fast forward to the release of their final rankings in May, and the digits next to his name had flipped.
Foudy shot up to No. 19 on the list, the product of a second-half surge sparked by a busy trade deadline for the London Knights. London's decision to trade a group of veterans - one that included Sabres prospect Cliff Pu - opened the door for Foudy to see more ice time and play in more situations.

"We traded a pretty veteran group there, so my role increased a lot," Foudy said. "… I was put in a lot of situations and I capitalized on my opportunity."
Foudy concluded his sophomore campaign with 40 points (24+16) in 65 games and scored four points (2+2) in five games for Canada at the Under-18 World Junior Championship. NHL.com's Adam Kimelman identified the forward as a player who could be available for Buffalo with the first pick in the second round.

Foudy insists he wasn't surprised by the drastic rise in his draft stock.
"I knew how I played in the second half," he said. "I thought I played pretty well, so it wasn't too much of a shock to me because I knew I could have done that the whole time."
Foudy's performance in the combine's fitness testing couldn't have hurt his stock, either. He finished with top-five scores in seven different tests, which he says is a testament to a well-rounded athletic upbringing. The same year he was drafted by London, he broke the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association's record in the 300-meter hurdle.
In that sense, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Foudy's mother, France Gareau, won a silver medal for Canada in the 4x100-meter relay at the 1984 Olympic Games. His father, Sean, played six seasons as a defensive back in the CFL and won the Grey Cup in 1994.
Foudy's younger brother, Jean-Luc, appears to be next in line, having been selected tenth overall by Windsor in the OHL Priority Selection Draft in April.
"We're a really competitive house," Foudy said. "Having them as your role models helps me a lot and helped me get to where I'm at now."