Photo Credit: Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images
Wade Allison has made some impactful strides early in his NHL career, but one constant remains. Unfortunately, he gets hurt a lot. Flyers’ Head Coach John Tortorella was very honest yesterday when asked questions about Wade Allison, and his future the orange and black.
“He’s always hurt. He’s improved tremendously…but it’s hard to be consistent if you’re always hurt,” John Tortorella said. “You see him coming, but then he’s out again.”
He has netted six goals, and five assists 45 games this season. Unfortunately, he has not been able to stay healthy and has missed 22 games due to injury this season. Last season he suffered an injury during the rookie game, and was sidelined for three months or more with a high ankle sprain. Allison also made one appearance for the Flyers, and got hurt in that game. In addition, he also got hurt while playing for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
“He’s always hurt.” – John Tortorella
Allison is still an important piece to the big club, and hopefully he can make an impact for the rest of the season. Tortorella then stated later on in the Press Conference that with him being hurt all the time, it definitely factors into a decision if he stays or not organizationally, “It has to,” Tortorella said.
After moving on from Western Michigan and recovering from an injury, Allison suited up for eight games with the Phantoms and recorded four goals and five assists for nine total points. One thing Wade Allison does well is pressure the puck in all three zones. In a game against the Devils in 2020-21, he really showed his ability to beat players to the puck in the corners, whether it was on the forecheck or in the Flyers zone. This is something that the Flyers can lack sometimes, wanting the puck.
Allison also possesses strong skating and offensive skills. He goes hard to the net and does well to generate changes in front for himself and teammates. Allison is a physical player that combined with his offensive skills is a player that new Flyers Head Coach John Tortorella should love, “I need to allow them to play, but it’s going to be a two-way street,” John Tortorella said earlier in the season. “It needs to be a two-way street, just show me that you’re willing to give us something away from the puck. Not going to turn you into a checker, but you got to show me and more importantly show your teammates that you’re willing to do some of the other stuff as an offensive guy away from the puck. Then you have something and I think that’s what develops the right camaraderie of a hockey club. It develops the right attitude of a hockey club and how hard you have to be. I think it starts with your top guys. It’s kind of a give and take there.”
Wade has the grit, and gives 100% effort every shift. All he has to do is stay healthy. It’s a gosh darn Shane that he has been hurt so much throughout his hockey career.
“A coaches’ job is to make them the absolute best people that they can be and the absolute best player they can be,” Tortorella said. “If the guy’s not the guy pushing them there, I’m going to push them there. You go through all that. Scotty Hartnell, I had to wrestle the room away from him in Columbus. I didn’t like the room when I went to Columbus. Him and I had wrestling matches about this and I benches Scotty. We had so many different conversations, but as we got through it, I loved the man. He was so good for us as we moved on with that team with his leadership. That’s where relationships are. The nonsense about the hardness and quitting on you, I don’t buy it and I never will. I’ve made mistakes, but we always have those conversations. They are going to know I care about them and they will eventually find out why I do the things that I do.”
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Allison has been given a fair shot with Torts, he’s exactly the prototype player Tortorella needs and once, he just has to stay healthy.
