Teemu
Caffeine Free Since 1919
- Dec 3, 2002
- 28,853
- 5,484
I like to consider myself a fair man. While I figured that I had a pretty good read on Allan, I figured that I would be a gentleman and give him a fighting chance to change my mind. I mean, obviously the Hawks see *something* in him, right? I mean geez, if he was picked at 32 that probably means they had him ranked 15-20. So I sat down and gave him a clean slate for a game.
I'll start with the good and the one thing Allan does very well is that he anticipates play coming into the zone and is good at using his body and stick to break up play. From there, he can utilize his body against the board to slow down play, though I wouldn't say that he is particularly gifted at actually digging the pucks out. His defensive positioning is gernally solid, and players generally aren't able to sneak past him. Allan, of course, can also lay the body and he looks for opportunities to do this on every play. This is a lot of fun, but not always that much of an asset. Allen is caught out of position *a lot* trying to make that big hit, often setting up odd man rushes for his opponents. That's also a harder game to play at the next level.
This ties in with one of his biggest issues--his speed. Although he has a decent initial burst to pounce on pucks (and step up for hits) and good edges, his north-south speed is lacking, and this can be a huge problem as he tries to bring himself back into play after a hit. He's passable in the WHL but this is going to be a substantial issue at the next level, particularly since he will need to put on more weight to maintain his style of game.
And then there's probably his biggest issue: Nolan Allan doesn't really know what he's supposed to do once the puck is on his stick. He typically tries to get rid of it as soon as humanly possible, which can stymie a defensive zone breakout if he otherwise has open ice to work with. Allan is uncomfortable as soon as he leaves the defensive zone, putting his team at an offensive disadvantage when he's on the ice. His shot is decently hard, but doesn't see the net too often. If anyone else remembers that early 00s Hawks team with BoBo Mironov that went like half the year without a goal from a defenseman, Allan would fit in well with them. His offensive IQ is zero. He cannot distribute the puck in any meaningful way to help his team and cannot anticipate the development of scoring chances. It really visibly looks like he is just antsy to get back to the defensive end to do his thing.
I frankly came away with a worse opinion than I did going in. He'll be fine for a few years in the comfort of the WHL, but I think that the AHL level is going to be an insurmountable struggle when it comes. I just don't get it.
I'll start with the good and the one thing Allan does very well is that he anticipates play coming into the zone and is good at using his body and stick to break up play. From there, he can utilize his body against the board to slow down play, though I wouldn't say that he is particularly gifted at actually digging the pucks out. His defensive positioning is gernally solid, and players generally aren't able to sneak past him. Allan, of course, can also lay the body and he looks for opportunities to do this on every play. This is a lot of fun, but not always that much of an asset. Allen is caught out of position *a lot* trying to make that big hit, often setting up odd man rushes for his opponents. That's also a harder game to play at the next level.
This ties in with one of his biggest issues--his speed. Although he has a decent initial burst to pounce on pucks (and step up for hits) and good edges, his north-south speed is lacking, and this can be a huge problem as he tries to bring himself back into play after a hit. He's passable in the WHL but this is going to be a substantial issue at the next level, particularly since he will need to put on more weight to maintain his style of game.
And then there's probably his biggest issue: Nolan Allan doesn't really know what he's supposed to do once the puck is on his stick. He typically tries to get rid of it as soon as humanly possible, which can stymie a defensive zone breakout if he otherwise has open ice to work with. Allan is uncomfortable as soon as he leaves the defensive zone, putting his team at an offensive disadvantage when he's on the ice. His shot is decently hard, but doesn't see the net too often. If anyone else remembers that early 00s Hawks team with BoBo Mironov that went like half the year without a goal from a defenseman, Allan would fit in well with them. His offensive IQ is zero. He cannot distribute the puck in any meaningful way to help his team and cannot anticipate the development of scoring chances. It really visibly looks like he is just antsy to get back to the defensive end to do his thing.
I frankly came away with a worse opinion than I did going in. He'll be fine for a few years in the comfort of the WHL, but I think that the AHL level is going to be an insurmountable struggle when it comes. I just don't get it.
