As expected, the St. Louis Blues have signed Erik Foley to a three-year entry-level contract that will begin in the 2018-19 season. Foley will sign an amateur tryout with the San Antonio Rampage to get into some minor league action before the end of the season. The Providence College standout was acquired earlier this year as part of the package for Paul Stastny.
Getting Foley under contract means that the Jets will not have to give the Blues a 2020 fourth-round pick, which was one of the conditions of the trade. Instead, the talented winger will jump right into the Blues system and give them another interesting forward prospect.
With players like Tage Thompson, Klim Kostin, Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas already in the system, the Blues are stocked with forward talent even before bringing Foley in, meaning he will have to fight for his opportunities in the organization. With 35 points in 38 games for Providence this season, he certainly looks ready to do just that.
Selected in the third round in 2015, Foley is an interesting blend of skill and physicality. Though he isn’t very big, he plays a power game and loves to get in on the forecheck and punish defenders who underestimate him. That bang-and-crash game is supported by some nice hands around the net and an ability to score in different ways, though his projection at the NHL level is not as a top-line player.