Cody Allen: 2013 WHL Draft Prospect

Cody Allen (Kamloops Jardine Blazers)

Allen is a big, physical defenseman who is the heart and soul of this Blazers team. He is quite impressive in his own end, and displayed some offensive potential too.

Cody Allen makes good, accurate outlet passes to get the attack going for his team. He is able to thread it across a small opening in the neutral zone. He looks confident with the puck and does not panic with pressure around him. He is able to use his frame to protect the puck and buy himself some more time to do something productive with it. Allen has a good slap shot, but can be improved on for it to be a weapon. He does not have elite abilities with the puck, but does enough to be a very dependable player with it. He just has to limit the number of turnovers and take what is given to him.

Allen’s strengths are definitely in the defensive zone. He reads the play well and creates a lot of takeaways with his body and stick positioning. He rarely chases the play, and just lets it come to him before deciding whether to use his reach or body to create loose pucks. His skating abilities combined with his long arms allow him to keep opponents to the outside no matter how fast they may be. He could add a physical dimension to his game. He does not use his size enough to his advantage and provide some big hits.

A junior team will get a solid defenseman who is very responsible without the puck in Cody Allen. His defensive game is hard not to notice because he does such a good job in his own zone. His play with the puck could definitely improve, but he does enough to be effective with it. He is a player coaches will love to have on their team because he can be counted on in tight situations to help shut the door and preserve the lead.