Cam Allen – 2023 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

by

Cam Allen

2022-23 Team: Guelph Storm (OHL)
Date of Birth: January 7, 2005
Place of Birth: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Ht: 5-foot-11 Wt: 190 pounds
Shoots: Right
Position: Defense
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2023 first-year eligible

Rankings

After an incredible rookie season in the OHL, defenseman Cam Allen was ready to take the next step in his draft year. Coming off a season that saw him win OHL Rookie of the Year, many folks were excited to see what he could do for an encore.

Cam Allen Guelph Storm
Cam Allen, Guelph Storm (Photo by Luke Durda/OHL Images)

Sometimes things don’t go the way you hope they would. The 2022-23 season for Allen certainly qualifies as that. After scoring 13 goals and 37 points in his rookie year, his numbers dipped to five goals and 25 points in 62 games. At this point it’s fair to wonder if it was more on the player or on the team situation. In this case, both were certainly factors in this.

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The season started with multiple coaching changes. Scott Walker took over for George Burnett in the offseason. However after just two games in the new season, Walker had to step away from the bench due to health concerns. This opened the door for associate coach Chad Wiseman to be promoted to head coach.

The Storm got off to a terrible start this season going just 2-9-2 in their first 13 games. Allen recorded three points in the first two games of the season under Walker. But then he went on to record just two points in his next 11 games. He was also a -17 in that span. It seemed he was trying to do too much when things weren’t going well for him or the team.

Then Allen suffered an injury in late December that saw him miss six games due to a shoulder injury. He was able to return in time to play in the CHL/NHL Top Prospect’s Game in which he showed some flashes of the type of player he can be. He made some good decisions with the puck and showed why he was hard to play against.

Related: 2023 NHL Draft Guide

In watching several Storm games this season both live and on film, the flashes are still there. Allen skates well. He’s a good decision maker. He makes the power play go from the point. You could see why this player had some buzz around him. He’s also a leader. He currently is the captain of Team Canada at the U18’s.

At the same time, Allen battled some confidence issues as the team’s early struggles dragged on. He tried taking it on himself to do more. While that is certainly commendable, it can also work against you. His defensive game suffered as a result. He lost battles and found himself out of position. This part of his game will need to be a focus as he moves up the ranks. To his and the Storm’s credit, they made the OHL playoffs but fell in six games to the Sarnia Sting in round one.

Suddenly Allen becomes a very interesting day two prospect at the NHL Draft. While many folks will notice the dip in production, he still has the tools to become an effective player. Offensively minded right-shot defenseman are always in demand in the NHL. With time and development, he can still be an effective player while showing this season was more of a fluke than anything. The prevailing question will be at what point will someone take a chance?

Other THW Draft Profiles

Cam Allen – NHL Draft Projection

The consensus seems to agree that Allen will be taken somewhere outside of the first round after an underwhelming year. Still he possesses some intriguing tools that will make him an attractive prospect on day two of the draft.

Quotables

“Two-way blueliner with inconsistent hockey sense who defends well and drives play from the back end. Possesses good mobility and competes hard, projecting as a potential middle-pairing defenseman at the NHL-level.” –Dobber Prospects

“Right shot defencemen with Allen’s tools don’t grow on trees. He’s a very good skater, smart, can quarterback a powerplay, is offensively gifted while strong defensively, he can rush the puck and make excellent passes – he just did it all.” -Dominic Tiano, OHL Writers

Latest News & Highlights

“The Guelph Storm have played better as a team for an extended period of time and defenceman Cameron Allen is part of the reason they are improving. He made some excellent puck plays in the Top Prospects Game. His outlets were on target and led to offensive chances for Team Red. Allen provides plenty of push back physically, too. He’s hard to play against.” –Jason Bukala, Sportsnet

 “If Allen can rediscover the form he had coming into the year, there is a salvageable prospect here, and some NHL team is bound to take the chance. It’s just likely to be with a mid-round pick rather than a top-15 selection.” –Tony Ferrari, The Hockey News

“Allen exploded out of the gate with Guelph before petering out a bit on the scoresheet in recent games. The Storm have had a terrible season, but Allen has been one of the team’s few bright spots. Allen has first-pairing potential in the NHL and will be one of the first defensemen taken.” –Steven Ellis, Daily Faceoff

Strengths

  • Vision
  • Good mobility
  • Willingness to shoot the puck
  • Physicality

Under Construction- Improvements to Make

  • 1-on-1 defensive play
  • Needs to stop doing too much on plays

NHL Potential

Allen’s NHL potential is that of a middle pair defenseman who can add offense and contribute on the power play. Development will be key for him so he has a chance to work out his defensive game and prove this past season was not the norm.

Risk- Reward Analysis

Risk- 5/5, Reward 4/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense- 8/10, Defense 7/10

Awards/Achievements

Allen won the Emms Family Award in 2021-22 for OHL Rookie of the Year and was named to the OHL First All-Rookie Team. He also won a gold medal at the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup while tallying the most assists of any skater in the tournament.

Cam Allen Stats

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