Photo Credit: picuki.com
Back again with another candidate whose name you might not recognize- but whose you should know- is Tyson Foerster. You shouldn’t be shocked if Flyers General Manager Chuck Fletcher calls out his name (tentatively) come late June because Foerster checks all the Flyers draft needs.
Tyson, who plays Right Wing, is currently just shy of 6’2″ and weighs in at 195 pounds, already possessing that NHL size the Flyers so urgently need along the boards. Foerster (who currently plays for the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL)) has recently shot up on most people’s draft boards after his remarkable showing in the CHL’s Top Prospects game that was played back on January 16th. There, he bested the likes of Cole Perfetti, Connor Zary, and even the front-runner for 1st overall draft pick Alexis Lafreniere to be Team Whites Player of the Game. Foerster put on a clinic that night netting two goals and one assist against the best prospects in Junior Hockey, thus proving his name deserves to be mentioned in conversations in every team’s draft-day bunkers around the league as a potential first round pick in this year’s draft.
In 62 games played this year for the Colts, Tyson amassed an impressive 36 goals 44 assists for 80 points. These totals blow away what Foerster was able to put up last year in 64 games played: totaling just 10 goals 13 assists for 23 points. This season, Tyson’s play resembled that of a young Dany Heatley. Much like Heatley did, Foerster uses his size and strength to win board battles playing a physical game, which also allows Tyson to be very strong on the puck- particularly when it’s on his stick. These moves grant him access into the most contested spot on the ice from where he likes to let lose his wicked shots (in between the face-off dots). Often times he triggers the goal sirens while one or more of the opposing players is doing everything they can to prevent it (besides actually climbing on his back). When Tyson doesn’t have the puck on his stick (like Heatley did so well) Foerster somehow finds a way to disappear on the ice. He’ll slide in unnoticed just behind the other teams’ defense, or off to the side of the net getting in perfect position to either knock home a juicy rebound or accept an unexpected pass. Foerster then tends to show off his ability to lift the puck up while in tight (to the net), knocking off more than a couple of goalies water bottles along the way I’m sure.
The one thing that needs improvement in Foerster’s game still is his skating ability. Much like a train or locomotive, Tyson takes a while to get to speed. Once there though, he is difficult to stop! Foerster focused on this skill last summer by training hard. Tyson was quoted as saying that he thinks his skating has really improved. Even still, Foerster would be wise to use this unforeseen time off to further work on this aspect of his game. As a prospect, he needs to be on par with the rest of the NHL, which possesses the biggest, the strongest, and the fastest skaters in the world.
If the Flyers miss out on some of the other big names that they are hoping for in this year’s draft they should not be disappointed if they are forced to select winger Tyson Foerster. This prospect already has NHL size, an NHL-caliber shot, and he has also proven he can hang with, and maybe even show those big-name prospects (we all know about), a thing or two. Foerster has worked tirelessly to improve upon his game and his hard work ought to pay off by way of him being selected in the first round of this year’s NHL Entry Draft.
