2 Columbus Blue Jackets Prospects Who Could Get Called Up This Season

As the season gets underway, players will begin to suffer injuries as they sacrifice their bodies for the sake of their team, not to mention the ever-present concern of a positive Covid diagnosis. Eventually, there will be players who will need to miss games, and others will need to be called in to replace them in the lineup. Here are two such prospects who could see some playing time on the Columbus Blue Jackets this season.

Liam Foudy

There was a lot of hype around Liam Foudy when he was selected 18th overall back in 2018. He had a couple of stellar seasons with the OHL's London Knights which earned him an extended look with the Jackets last year. However, in 24 games Foudy only managed 4 assists with the big club. Eventually, Columbus reassigned him to their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, where he immediately went on a tear, scoring 3 goals and 16 points in 12 games to wrap up last season. He's currently sitting at 3 goals and 5 points in 10 games with the Monsters to start the year. Foudy is in a bit of development limbo, showing that he's probably too good to stay in the AHL, but he also has yet to show the same level of talent in the NHL. With Patrik Laine heading to IR the Jackets are going to be relying on their prospect pipeline to pick up some of the slack. They've already recalled Kevin Stenlund from Cleveland, but Laine is at least a month away from returning. If Columbus doesn't like what Stenlund brings, Foudy is the next man up.

Tyler Angle

At least, he's probably the next man up, but one guy who could make that decision difficult for Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen is Tyler Angle. This kid is looking like he'll be one of the late-round steals from the 2019 Draft. Angle was taken in the 7th round, 212th overall, after a solid season with the OHL's Windsor Spitfires. He followed that up by scoring over a point per game with the team the year after his draft selection, 67 points in 62 games. Ok, not bad, but that's the OHL. How'd he do in the AHL? The next year, his first season in pro hockey, Angle put up over a point a game once again, scoring 11 goals and 24 points in 23 games. He's on the verge of doing it again this year, currently sitting at 9 points (all assists) in 10 games. Angle is currently the Monsters' leading scorer, clearly developing far more quickly and at a much higher level than anyone expected. A 7th-round pick cracking the roster two years after he was drafted is a great story for Jackets' fans, and if he keeps up his production in Cleveland, it won't be long before he gets his first look at the NHL.

Well how do ya do, Tyler Angle😯

Rate this between-the-legs goal by @SpitsHockey Tyler Angle 🤭 pic.twitter.com/QUCrhpqUBf
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 19, 2019