Nick Foligno
August 29, 2006
I just came across a nice article about Nick Foligno, Ottawa’s number 1 pick (28th overall) in the 2006 draft. Nick is the son of Mike Foligno who played for the Buffalo Sabres. Sounds like we’ll be seeing Nick next season in Binghamton, but he might see him sooner after his OHL team finishes their season.
After another season in the OHL, Foligno should be spending some time in the AHL to fine-tune his game. He already has the skating ability to play in that league, as well as the toughness. Still, he will need to play against more experienced and stronger players before he is ready to make the jump.
Having a father who has played in the NHL will be valuable to his development because he knows what it takes to play with the best players in the world.
The one thing that should make this father and son story different than some others is the son will certainly make it on his own merits and that’s why the Senators’ selection should pay dividends in the future.
What I like about Foligno is that he is a gritty player, something this organization sorely needs as evidenced by Ottawa’s loss to Buffalo in round two of the playoffs. They’ve already got plenty of skill, but they need more guys who will battle for the puck and according to his scouting report, Foligno fits the bill:
After a solid rookie season where he scored 10 goals and 28 assists in 65 games, Foligno had a coming-out of sorts in the 2004-05 playoffs when he ramped up his production and scored five goals and five assists in 12 games. He continued that momentum into this season, averaging better than a point-per-game en route to a 70-point season in 65 games. He’s combined a familiarity with getting to the net (ten goals in year one, 24 in year two) with a familiarity with the penalty box. In two seasons, the young forward has racked up 257 penalty minutes, in large part due to his proficiency at getting into the corners and in front of the net.
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