Jets switch gears and go for consensus not PCS; Draft Erik Foley at 78th
By Garret Hohl
8 years agoWith their 4th selection of the draft, the Jets take a player ranked quite high by third-party scouting organizations but doesn’t have an extremely high PCS.
Erik Foley was one point under a point per game while playing for the Cedar Rapids Roughriders of the USHL. He lead his team in scoring although not in points per game.
Foley is the third selection this draft made by the Jets hailing from the USHL, but he is the first player not highly ranked by the numbers.
PCS suggests that players who are statistically similar to Foley in the USHL only make the NHL 7.69 per cent of the time. The two players who did play 200+ NHL games all outscored Foley too, with Ryan Johnson scoring at a 1.04 point per game pace, and Jaden Schwartz scoring at a 1.38 point per game pace.
While PCS is a great tool, it is not defining of a player. Foley is still well respected in the scouting community, being ranked 41st by HockeyProspect, 64 by Future Considerations, and others.
Hopefully Foley takes the next step as he moves to the NCAA.
Here’s what some scouts had to say about Foley:
An offensive winger who knows how to take opposing players out of the play. Can play an agitative game, but is at his best when recognizing opportunities and taking advantage of them. A good skater who has the right amount of skill to do what he can to help his team every night; on the other hand, does not possess the biggest body, so can be ineffective in his role at times.
He’s very athletic and tough. He has excellent strength and balance. Erik is one of those players who is incredibly difficult to knock off the puck and he’s really good on the wall, especially from the dots down in the offensive zone,” said Tabor Academy coach Gerry Dineen.
One thing that scouts will notice the more they watch Foley play is his deceptive speed, his offensive instincts and his heavy shot despite his lack of elite hands and footwork that say a Jack Eichel or Jeremy Bracco exhibit.
Nick Foley did not fall in our top 45 prospects so we have no draft profile based on PCS on him, but will break down his numbers at a future time.
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