Warren Foegele 2016-17 season capsule

Warren Foegele entered the 2016-17 season as an unsigned 2014 NHL draftee. Because he was drafted as an NCAA player originally before moving the the OHL, the Hurricanes were able to maintain his contract rights through the 2016-17 season without signing him. So he arrived at the prospect camp in the summer and then the NHL training camp in the fall very much playing for a contract. And Foegele delivered. He stood out in prospect camp and followed it up by playing a key role on a top line for the prospect team that won the Traverse City tourney. Then he carried over his strong play to training camp where he again was noticeable on a regular basis with his aggressive play, skating and disruptive play without the puck. He lasted long past the normal cut dates for Canadian junior players and made a strong impression before being 1 of the final cuts.

Back in juniors, Foegele had a strong 2016-17 season. In a season split almost equally between the Kingston Frontenacs and the Erie Otters, Foegele has 27 goals and 63 points in 61 games. He hit the ground running with the Erie Otters and is currently leading a checking line, playing on both special teams and chipping in significant scoring despite his defense-first role. Especially with the Hurricanes having room in Charlotte, I will be very surprised if Foegele has not earned an entry-level contract with his play in 2016-17.

Interview on Warren Foegele with Mark Scheig from The Hockey Writers

Mark Scheig (Twitter=@THWMark) writes for The Hockey Writers covering the Columbus Blue Jackets as well as the Cleveland Monsters and the OHL with emphasis on the Erie Otters. 

Canes and Coffee: What were your first impressions of Warren Foegele in an Otters’ uniform after he arrived and played his first few games with Erie in early January? How did your first impression of Foegele compare with what you had seen/known of him previously as an opponent?

Mark Scheig: My first impression of Foegele upon my first few viewings of him was his speed. Whether he was chasing an opponent down or chasing a loose puck, he brought an instant element of speed to the Otters’ lineup. I had heard he was a faster version of former Otter Jake Marchment. That meant he was going to play a good two-way game with above average speed. He proved in short order all that to be true and then some.

Canes and Coffee:What is Warren Foegele’s current role on the Otters? 

Mark Scheig: Foegele will likely start the playoffs on the Otters’ third line, if you can believe that. Erie has superb talent on the top-six. Coach Kris Knoblauch is on record as saying he likes Foegele playing with defensive stalwart Kyle Pettit. They form an excellent third line as a shutdown line. They can go out and take down the opponent’s best line with regularity. He’ll play around 15-18 minutes a night in this role, maybe more depending on the opponent. He’ll also be found in the top-six if there is need for more offense. In that case, he’ll play with Anthony Cirelli. Foegele is also on the second power-play unit as well as the top penalty kill. He and Cirelli are forces while the Otters are shorthanded. They disrupt the opposition with their speed and aggression, leaving very little time for teams to set their power play up. That’s been a big reason for the Otters success this season.

Canes and Coffee: How would you describe and summarize Warren Foegele’s play thus far with the Erie Otters?

Mark Scheig: Foegele is the hard working player on the Otters. He has one speed. Turbo. He gives 100% every shift and usually makes an impact. He’s lived up to the billing. He’s a major reason why the Otters have allowed the fewest shots on goal in the OHL. Once he gets the puck, he’s usually making a play with it or is able to get it to a teammate. He has excellent awareness to make the correct read. He allows the other two Otters lines to do their thing on offense. One thing that makes Foegele stand out is that he can also contribute offense. He finished with 27-36-63 in 61 games. His value will be seen in full against top teams like London, Owen Sound and others.

Canes and Coffee: What jumps out about Warren Foegele’s play and skill set that projects to be NHL caliber? What areas do you see for improvement at this early stage of his development?

Mark Scheig: The thing that is NHL caliber is his defensive prowess. He has the combination of speed and awareness that projects well to the next level. I think he’s more of a winger in the NHL than a center. That said, he’s played some center in the OHL. The thing I think he could use work on is size. He’s 6-foot-2, but just 190 pounds. He could easily get pushed around as a center. I think he’d thrive more on the wing. He’s not going to wow you offensively, but is going to be steady. He can get you 10-15 goals a season and thrive defensively. He likes crashing the net when possible. With some extra size, he could become better at that at the next level.

Canes and Coffee: Is there anything else about Warren Foegele that might be of interest to Carolina Hurricanes fans?

Mark Scheig: Canes fans should watch the Otters closely. Foegele will be a big reason for their success, especially later in the playoffs when the games are tighter. He makes so many plays that don’t show up on the score sheet, but are just as important to winning. Think of a smaller Jordan Staal with a little less offense. Foegele energizes the team with his consistent turbo speed. Erie was the perfect destination for him and his skill set.

Canes and Coffee extends a huge thank you to Mark Scheig for sharing his ‘from the rink’ insight on Warren Foegele with the Carolina Hurricanes hockey community.

More on Warren Foegele plus menu of previous MIDTERMS on Hurricanes prospects

I raved pretty regularly about Warren Foegele in my prospect camp practice recaps and preseason reports last summer and even before:

My love affair with Foegele’s pace and intensity started way back in the 2015 Hurricanes prospect camp when I ranked him second among all forwards (behind some random kid named Aho) in the end of camp scrimmage.

My recap of day 1 of the 2016 Hurricanes prospect camp had Foegele at the top of the list of featured players.

My recap of day 3 of the 2016 Hurricanes prospect camp again noted Foegele’s play.

Foegele played a significant role on a first line with Julien Gauthier and Janne Kuokkanen on the Hurricanes prospect team that won the Traverse City tourney.

Foegele picked up right where he left off when the preseason started. He stood out in a good way in his first preseason game.

At the very end of training camp, this post on the Hurricanes final roster decisions had another positive entry on Foegele’s impressive NHL training camp.

If you missed them and want to catch up, you can find the other entries in the ‘Midterms’ series here:

David Cotton (Boston College, NCAA)

Matt Filipe (Northeastern University, NCAA)

Jake Bean (Calgary Hitmen, WHL)

Janne Kuokkanen (London Knights, OHL)

Noah Carroll (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, OHL)

Julien Gauthier (Saint John Sea Dogs, QMJHL)

Steven Lorentz (Peterborough Petes, OHL)

Hudson Elynuik (Spokane Chiefs, WHL)

Max Zimmer (University of Wisconsin, NCAA)

Aleksi Saarela (Lukko, Finnish Liiga)

Jack LaFontaine (University of Michigan, NCAA)

Callum Booth (Saint John, QMJHL)

Luke Stevens (Yale University, NCAA)

Spencer Smallman (Saint John Sea Dogs, OHL)

Go Canes!