The Scouting Report:
Cam Allen from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, born on January 7th, 2005, is a top defensive prospect in the 2023 NHL entry draft. Standing at 5’11” and 190 pounds, Allen is definitely smaller than most defensemen in this draft class. Currently playing for the Guelph Storm in the Ontario Hockey League, Allen has provided leadership on the blueline and worked to improve the Guelph Storm as best as he can. In Allen’s rookie season with the Guelph Storm, Allen was named an OHL First All-Rookie Team award recipient. To finish his rookie season, Cam Allen was named the OHL Rookie of the Year, building his professional hockey resume in his young career. On an awful Guelph Storm team in his sophomore season, Allen provided stability when they needed it. The numbers and statistics aren’t great.
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Unranked by Inside The Rink
Ranked #3 by NHL Central Scouting (EU Skaters)
Ranked #19 by TSN/Craig Button
Ranked #11 by The Hockey News
Ranked #8 by Recruit Scouting
Ranked #12 by Sportsnet
Ranked #9 by TSN/Bob McKenzie
Conrad Jack of Inside the Rink has Cameron Allen projected at 44th overall.
Cam Allen was really promising at the beginning of the season and slowly lost his form as time passed. If Cam Allen can regain this form, he will be an incredible addition to any NHL team, as Allen was easily ready to storm his way into a top-16 pick in this year’s draft. Far lower than originally thought, Allen will still bolster the depth and provide incredibly tough decisions come draft.
Diving Deeper:
Cam Allen is one of the top defensemen in this draft class, he’s just stuck on a bad team. Let’s take a deeper dive into Cam Allen’s attributes.
Physicality:
I think when you attribute a player to physicality, it speaks for itself. Cam Allen will not let himself or his teammates be pushed around in any way. Throughout the team’s struggles, Allen’s on-ice struggles, coaching changes, injuries, and other major struggles, Allen wouldn’t allow the team to be bullied. Allen would make sure that even on a bad team, they still played with a high competitive level and desire to win. Sometimes, this does work against a player.
“He’s also a strong, sturdy, athletic, physically mature kid who defends at a high level when he’s playing with confidence and aggression (though it can also occasionally get him in trouble when his time is off), wins the majority of his battles, plays tight gaps, and rises to the physical challenge in man-to-man coverage.”
Scott Wheeler – The Athletic – Nov. 1st, 2022.
Shoot First Mentality:
When Allen wasn’t attempting to do too much with the puck, he was a consistent shooter on the ice. His teammates were able to capitalize on rebounds when necessary and pass the puck around when the play was in their favor. This helped the Guelph Storm at least get to the OHL playoffs this year. However, they would fall to the Sarnia Sting in six games during the first round. Allen’s constant shooting makes him really interesting come day two, will his name still be on the board, or will a team take a chance on Allen in the first round?
“Allen’s forte is strong skating and puck skills, which allow him to contribute offensively in all three zones – especially when it comes to walking the offensive blueline and/or getting shots through to the goal.”
Bob McKenzie – TSN – Sept. 22nd, 2022.
On-Ice Abilities:
You don’t usually get many big, physical, right-shot defensemen that have the possibility of being a first-pairing defenseman in the NHL. Allen has all of the tools to become one of the best defensemen out of this draft class. If he continues an upward trend, Allen will almost certainly show that this season was a one-off.
Final Thoughts:
Cam Allen is highly coachable and wants to be the absolute best that he can be, at the same time, he’s shown signs of being a steal of a draft pick, and with the right team, he can be a first-pairing defenseman. There is a high demand for big, physical, right-shot defensemen in the NHL, and Allen fits the bill with near perfection. Allen was built to play a rough style in the NHL, and I hope that he can prove that to be true.
Stats via Elite Prospects
Highlights via MyNHLDraft.com
