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New York Islanders 2017 NHL Draft Profile: Cal Foote

By Christopher Lizza

Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Mathew Barzal puts on a team jersey after being selected as the number sixteen overall pick to the New York Islanders in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Mathew Barzal puts on a team jersey after being selected as the number sixteen overall pick to the New York Islanders in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /
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The 2017 NHL Draft is fast approaching and before you know it the New York Islanders will be on the clock. With the 15th overall pick in the first round, the Islanders are going to have a number of interesting choices, which will lead to a tough decision. Today we take a look at Cal Foote.

Cal Foote is one of the top defensemen in the 2017 NHL Draft. There are many reasons why selecting Foote would be a wise move by the New York Islanders.

Background

Foote grew up in Colorado and is a big kid at 6’3, 198 lbs. If you wondering about his name the answer is yes. Cal’s dad is Adam Foote, the former top blue liner with the Colorado Avalanche.

Foote possesses a number of skills. He is mobile, very strong defensively, 200-foot player, and has a very high hockey IQ. No surprise on Foote’s hockey smarts given he was tutored from a young age by a former NHL defensemen.

New York Islanders

Foote plays in all situations and because of that has been called a safe bet to become a solid blue liner in the league for ten-years-plus.

Fit with the Isles?

As stated in my draft profile article on Kailer Yamamoto, the Isles depth at all positions in their prospect pool gives them the flexibility of taking the best player on the board. That is a good place for Garth Snow and the front office to be when it’s time to select the 15th overall pick.

When researching Foote what jumps out at me is he looks like a strong bet to become a two-way, second-pairing defensemen. Yours truly would not be surprised if Foote even exceeded those expectations.

While the Islanders are deep on defense both with the big club and the pipeline, keep in mind defensemen take a little bit more time to develop. Odds are Foote would need three years of development before making his NHL debut.

Yours truly see’s Foote as the replacement for Johnny Boychuk in a few years time. In three years, Boychuk will be at the back end of his 7-year deal. At that point, the grizzled veteran Boychuk could tutor the young Cal Foote.

Next: Predicting de Haan's Contract

Foote would be an investment for the Islanders but a very shrewd one. Some players are worth the wait and Foote is one of them.

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