Tyson Foerster – 2020 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

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Tyson Foerster

2019-20 Team: Barrie Colts (#71)
Date of Birth: January 18, 2002
Place of Birth: Alliston, ON, Canada
Ht: 6’1” Wt: 194 lbs
Shoots: Right
Position: Center/Wing
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2020 first-year eligible

Rankings

Every season, a number of draft-eligible prospects seem to come out of nowhere to explode on the scene. Their rookie year doesn’t quite go as planned but then they use the summer as motivation and put in the work. This was absolutely the case for Barrie Colts’ forward Tyson Foerster.

Related: 2020 NHL Draft Guide

Foerster put himself squarely on the draft map on a late September day against the Mississauga Steelheads. He recorded six points including a hat trick. Then he went on a crazy point streak recording points in 13 straight games which including six consecutive multi-point efforts. He was a shining star early in the season. The question that now had to be asked was just how good could he be?

Tyson Foerster, Barrie Colts, OHL
Tyson Foerster became one of the fastest risers early in the season. (Photo courtesy of the OHL)

Foerster’s season earned him an invite to the CHL Top Prospect’s Game. While everyone looked forward to watching the Alexis Lafreniere’s, Quinton Byfield’s and Jamie Drysdale’s of the world, it was Foerster who not only won the night, he won the MVP of the game. It was a huge statement at the right time to put his name into serious consideration for the first round.

The first thing that sticks out about Foerster is his cannon of a shot. It resembles a little bit of Alex Ovechkin when you watch him. He scored quite a few of his goals from the left circle. By the time the puck was in the net, the goalie barely moved. It’s lethal. He can unleash his shot from any area of the ice and there’s a chance it will go in. While his shot is great, don’t discount his passing. He’s hockey sense allows him to be creative and can find the right play. Offensively there’s hard to find fault in his game.

There are a couple of things I do wonder about. Foerster led the entire OHL in power play goals with 18. That speaks to his shot and finish. But that was half his goal production. Is he too dependent on special teams? Can he put up this kind of scoring at 5-on-5? And many have mentioned his skating. It’s fine but not overwhelming. He can get to the spot. But I’d like to see him improve on the first couple of steps in his stride. In watching him live in a game, that difference in those first few steps separated a good player from a special player. If he can get those strides into his game, the narrative changes in a hurry. Still, whoever lands Foerster will get an offensive talent who will only get better.

Related THW Draft Profiles

Tyson Foerster – NHL Draft Projection

Most of the industry has Foerster as a solid second rounder. I tend to agree with this. His performance at the CHL Top Prospects’ Game certainly made a lot of scouts fans of his game. While some see him as a late first possibility, middle of the second seems about the range we’ll hear his name called. That will make patient teams very happy.

Quotables

“Foerster can finish on scoring chances, which have been clear. He has a steady release on his shot. What has also made him so successful when it comes to scoring is his ability to move undetected by opposing players and find open spots because Tyson is always moving his legs. Foerster is also an excellent passer, which results not only in team scoring chances but is a skill he utilizes with his high hockey IQ to help the team with zone exits.” –Ryan Noble/Very Barrie Colts

“Everyone says that he can’t skate well enough but he gets there. Everyone said he’d drop off after Suzuki left but he keeps scoring. Everyone said he was a borderline selection for the Top Prospects game so he went and got the MVP. Kid is a player.” –Mark Seidel

“Foerster has been rising my personal OHL rankings with each viewing. While the skating is still fairly raw, it’s not really that bad and can be worked on. I’ve seen some flashes of good transition speed from Foerster, though he struggles at beating defenders one on one in pure foot races. Foerster’s shot is the skill that stands out the most for me and behind Perfetti, he has one of the better shots in the OHL for this draft class. While you can never truly predict a player’s growth potential, Foerster seems to me to be one of those cases where, with the proper developmental system, he could outperform his drafted position.” –Dylan Galloway

Strengths

  • Lethal shot
  • Good passer
  • Creative
  • High Hockey IQ

Improvements

  • Acceleration
  • Overall defensive play

NHL Potential

The team Foerster lands on coupled with his development with that team will be a huge factor in the kind of career he will have. At the moment, I see Foerster as a middle-six winger who should flourish on the power play. This potential goes up once he demonstrates he can keep up at the next level and play just as well on the other side of the puck.

Risk/Reward Analysis

Risk – 4/5, Reward – 4/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense – 8.5/10, Defense – 7/10

Awards/Achievements

After being drafted in the third round of the 2018 OHL Priority Selection, Foerster burst onto the scene this season and had a night to remember at the CHL Top Prospects’ Game, scoring two goals and adding an assist while leading his team to a win.

Interviews

Video