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Tampa Bay Selects Callan Foote

Photo: Kev Flannery

By Tyler Santana

The Lightning stepped to the podium last night and selected Callan Foote, the Right Handed Defenseman from the Kelowna Rockets with the 14th overall pick. Here is a quick breakdown for Bolts fans to get to know our newest Bolt.

He Has Big Shoes to Fill– Callan Foote is the son of Legendary Colorado Avalanche Defenseman Adam Foote. Adam won 2 Stanley Cups with the Avalanche playing a true Defensive Defenseman style. He went on the ice looking to knock guys out and defend his net. Callan is a more solid 2-way RHD with good offensive output and solid defense skill, putting up 6 goals and 57 points in 71 games for the Kelowna Rockets last season. Callan will look to outgrow his father’s shadow and prove he is more than just the son of a great player, like Calgary’s 1st rounder last year Matthew Tkachuk. However, Callan should have no problem filling any shoes as the Colorado native wears a size 16 skate, leading his teammates at Kelowna to call him “Bigfoot.”

Family Ties- The Foote family has a bit of a connection to Yzerman, as Adam Foote and Steve won Gold together at the 2002 Olympics for Team Canada. The two also battled it out in the NHL several times throughout their careers, including in the 1996 Western Conference Finals when Foote hurt Yzerman on a check in Game 1 that sidelined Steve for the next game. Colorado took the series and the Cup that year, but Steve and Adam don’t share any hard feelings. Yzerman added another chapter to his Foote family relationship by selecting Callan in the draft.

Skating- Callan is a smooth and fast skater with excellent balance and edge control. His transition ability helps him cover a lot of ice and allows him to go from defense to offense and vice versa very quickly. He can move well laterally, allowing him to walk the line and open lanes for shots and passes. Callan will look to add muscle onto his frame to allow him to better handle the NHL competition, but his skating mechanics are solid.

Offense– Callan looks to be the RHD Tampa has been looking for offensively. He has a solid slapper that stays low and on net, allowing for rebound goals and deflections, and a good wrister that he uses effectively to get his shot off quick. He can quarterback a power play from the right side with his tremendous vision and passing ability. His tremendous instinct helps him to sneak in from the point to take a pass or pinch to close off the breakout of the opposing team. He can spark quick transitions with his breakout pass ability and can carry the puck down the ice on the rush with his skating and stickhandling.

Defense- Cal is not the force of nature his father was, but he is an effective and smart hitter. Callan mostly uses his physicality to battle in corners and clear the front of the cage, but he isn’t afraid to drop the gloves and stand up for a teammate. He has good stick control and cuts down passing lanes well and maintains a good gap between him and the attacking player. He is also willing to go down and block the shot when necessary.

Comparison- Callan Foote is a big 2-way defenseman who delivers on both ends of the ice. He compares well in playstyle to Seth Jones of the Columbus Blue Jackets. While it may take Foote longer to get his “footing” in the NHL than Jones, he projects to have an impact very much like that of Seth.

Projected NHL Readiness and Future– Callan could break into the NHL early next season if he adds onto his big frame and develops well, but shouldn’t take longer than 2 years. He could slot in nicely on the 2nd pair with recently acquired Mikhail Sergachev or possibly find a spot next to Victor Hedman on the first pair. Regardless, this was a safe pick by the Lightning. It may not be the flashiest guy they could’ve gone after, but he is the most likely to be a solid 10-12 year veteran with the team, and for that this pick gets an A.

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June 24th, 2017


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