A successful Colorado Eagles season ended Monday afternoon with a do-or-die Game 5 loss at Blue Arena to the Abbotsford Canucks in the Calder Cup quarterfinals.
A very important offseason is coming for several players on the roster, but maybe none more than forwards Oskar Olausson and Jean-Luc Foudy. Both players had difficult seasons, and their status as top prospects in the organization has slipped.
“It was some good experience in the playoffs, but this offseason is going to be huge,” Olausson said. “I sort of found my game a little bit, but it’s been up-and-down this year.
“I’m excited for next year and to get back to work.”
Olausson was a late first-round pick in the 2021 NHL draft. Foudy was a third-round selection the year before.
Both have dealt with injuries, though that’s been a bigger issue for Foudy. They were the only two skaters on the ice Monday for the Eagles who were drafted by the Avalanche.
Trent Miner, a seventh-round pick, was in net. Sean Behrens (second-round pick, injured) and Taylor Makar (seventh-rounder, healthy scratch) were also with the team, but Olausson and Foudy have been the homegrown players on the Eagles’ roster with the highest expectations for multiple seasons.
They are different types of players. Olausson has obvious NHL attributes, namely his skating and heavy shot, and a sturdy frame that should allow him to find success in the difficult scoring areas.
Getting to those areas and finding opportunities for him to shoot have been a problem at times, even at this level. Olausson has scored exactly 11 goals in each of his three AHL seasons, which was a solid total last season (in 39 games) but less so this year (in 61 contests).
He’s also scored one goal in 16 career Calder Cup Playoff games. He did not score in six postseason games for the Eagles this year, though he had an assist in each of the previous three games before this one.
“He’s got all the tools,” Eagles coach Aaron Schneekloth said. “When he’s playing his game, using his speed and skill, he’s dangerous. We’ve had conversations with him about it. It’s tough to get to the next level. Consistency, strength, battles, some edginess — that’s what he needs to work on.
“He comes to the rink every day and he skates hard. It’s not the easiest path for him, but he’s going to need to be persistent.”
Foudy is smaller, but often plays with a fearless attitude. He’s gotten more time with the Avalanche than Olausson — 13 games, including his first NHL goal in 2023-24.
But the Avs used 11 forwards this season who spent time with the Eagles, plus rookies Calum Ritchie and Nikolai Kovalenko, before they were traded. Foudy was not one of them. And Olausson only earned two games with the big club.
Foudy did score a big goal for the Eagles in Game 4 to help get the club into this win-or-go-home elimination contest. He’s also a restricted free agent, while Olausson has one more year on his contract.
There was an opportunity to plant seeds with the Avs this season. Undrafted center Ivan Ivan took advantage and spent 40 games in the big leagues. Whether it was injuries or inconsistent performance, these two promising forwards have yet to earn an extended look with the parent club.
“It’s unfortunate,” Foudy said of the injuries. “This year, the year before, but it is what it is, and you’ve got to learn from it. It gives you a chance to work on stuff, like getting stronger.
“Every year, you get a chance to reset in the offseason. You can get bigger and stronger, especially when you’re younger. (The Avs) have a great team, but it resets every year and you get a new opportunity, so we’ll see what happens.”
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