Allison has shown flashes of potential, but questions still remain as he heads into the last year of his contract.
It's the dead of summer, but the Philadelphia Flyers will be gearing up for training camp before we know it. In preparation for the preseason, we've created the Summer Sampler series, in which we'll be analyzing every key player on the Flyers roster. We'll assess where each player stands ahead of the 2023-24 season and project what their respective roles will be for the upcoming campaign. Stay tuned throughout the summer for each Flyer's individual evaluation in the lead-up to training camp.
Wade Allison's road to becoming an NHL regular hasn't exactly been a smooth one after suffering multiple significant injuries early in his career. Now entering the final year of his contract, the 2023-24 campaign is shaping up to be perhaps the most crucial season of Allison's life as an NHLer.
How did Allison perform in 2022-23? The 2022-23 season, for the most part, was a successful one for Allison. He missed a quarter of the season due to injuries, but still managed to prove himself as a serviceable bottom-six forward. The 25-year-old logged nine goals and 15 points in 60 games and ranked second on the Flyers — behind only Nic Deslauriers — with 190 hits on the season.
Allison's play-driving numbers were unspectacular in 2022-23, but then again, so were most of his teammates'. At 5-on-5, he ranked 15th on the Flyers in Goals For percentage (47.92) and 17th in Corsi For percentage (46.64), but he also logged a respectable Expected Goals For per 60 rate of 2.66 — higher than the likes of Joel Farabee, Morgan Frost, and Noah Cates.
The raw scoring totals weren't all that impressive, but Allison showed signs of serious potential as a high-octane checking-line winger.
You can read more on Allison's 2022-23 season here.
What should fans expect from Allison in 2023-24? In all likelihood, Allison will continue playing a bottom-six role as a rugged, high-energy forechecker.
On paper, Allison possesses many of the desirable characteristics coaches look for in a penalty killer, but don't expect him to get much action on the PK in the foreseeable future. He only saw 1:06 of shorthanded ice time all of last season, and given the acquisitions of PK specialists Ryan Poehling and Garnet Hathaway, it won't be all that shocking if the vast majority of Allison's ice time comes at 5-on-5 once again.
What does Allison need to prove?Allison must show that he can stay healthy for a full season. He's had durability concerns dating back to his college days at Western Michigan University, and given his rough-and-tumble style of play, it's not unreasonable to pencil him down as a virtual lock to miss a considerable chunk of games on a yearly basis.
Allison is more than aware of his susceptibility to injuries, though, and he's hopeful he'll be able to keep the injury bug at bay after setting a career high in games played last season.
"I'd like to play all 82, but we'll try again next year," Allison told the media during his exit interview.
"I mean, 60 games is a step in the right direction. I learned a lot about my body this year — where I can't push it and just overextend in certain areas and stuff like that. I look forward to it. I'll play more games next year, too."
Statistics courtesy of Natural Stat Trick and NHL.com.