27. Nick Foligno
Apr 8, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Nick Foligno (71) against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Nationwide Arena. The Jackets won 5-0. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Another one of my personal favourites, for a guy whose best season in Ottawa was a 17-goal, 47 point year, Foligno gets a pretty high ranking. The Senators certainly made a mistake when they traded Foligno, as he’s since gone on to be a stud and leader in Columbus.
That said, Ottawa had what once looked like the better end of the deal with Marc Methot. Either way, both teams are happy.
Foligno is still a young hockey player at 27-years-old. He’s coming off a career year with Columbus, which saw him put up 30 goals and 73 points. He projects to be a good player for a few more years, and with a young team like Columbus, he may just see some further success there.
But it has to be asked, is Foligno a consistent 30-goal, 70-point guy in today’s NHL? Perhaps, but likely not. Clearly 15-16 will be a big telling year. His time in Ottawa was fairly lengthy as he enjoyed over 350 games as a Senator. His sub 150 point total didn’t cut it, which ultimately led to Foligno being dealt.
However, he was a fairly steady 3rd line/2nd line insulation guy during his time in Ottawa and was still a key player. He’s obviously evolved into something much more since, but by judging his time in Ottawa, Foligno is a fit right around his former draft position on this list at 27th overall.