The Globe and Mail
September 7, 2002
By Grant Kerr

BURNABY, B.C. -- When the Vancouver Canucks slashed more than $4-million (U.S.) from their payroll by not re-signing unrestricted free agents, the logical benefactor was emerging player Bryan Allen.

The 22-year-old defenceman, selected fourth in the 1998 entry draft, will finally get to prove he belongs in the National Hockey League for good.

Allen figures to replace Scott Lachance on the Vancouver blueline, perhaps playing alongside proven Ed Jovanovski in one of the top two pairings when training camp begins next weekend.

There was a time when the Canucks may have had second thoughts after selecting Allen with the next pick after the San Jose Sharks took Brad Stuart third behind Vincent Lecavalier (Tampa Bay) and David Legwand (Nashville). Stuart has been a regular for two years, while Allen's progress has been slower, mainly because of shoulder, knee and ankle injuries.

Now, with Lachance out of the picture and playing in Columbus with the Blue Jackets, the Canucks need Allen to prove that Vancouver was right all along in drafting him after Stuart was taken.

Other defencemen selected in the first round in 1998: Vitaly Vishenvsky, fifth by Anaheim; Martin Skoula, 17th to Colorado; Dimitri Kalinin, 18th by Buffalo; Robyn Regeher, 19th to Colorado, then traded to Calgary; Mathieu Biron, 21st by Los Angeles, later traded to the New York Islanders, now with Tampa Bay; Christian Backman, 24th to St. Louis; Jiri Fischer, 25th by Detroit and Mike Van Ryn, 26th to New Jersey, now with St. Louis.

Allen has taken the longest route to the NHL, other than Backman, who remained in his native Sweden for seasoning before electing to join the Blues for the coming campaign.

"I don't think there's more pressure than what there should be," the low-key Allen said after an informal scrimmage at the team's training centre. "You just do your own thing and see what happens.

"I'm not putting too much expectation on [playing with Jovanovski]. I've still got prospects camp before dealing with that."

Allen reported with the Vancouver rookies yesterday for physical testing before taking part in drills and scrimmages during the weekend.

Last season, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Allen played 68 games with the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League, plus 11 with the Canucks when he filled in for injured NHLers.

The Canucks also figure to look closely at Manitoba defenders Zenith Komarniski, 25, and Rene Vydareny, 21, plus free-agent signings Nolan Baumgartner and Jaroslav Obsut, both 26.

"You could wish you'd done things differently, but that's the way it goes," Allen said of his slower than expected development. "I'm not disappointed or frustrated or anything. You deal with the cards you're given.

"You have to refocus each summer and go from there. Hopefully I'm a little bit stronger and a little bit quicker and a little bit wiser."

Allen, from Kingston, Ont., worked with power-skating instructor David Roy during the summer, trying to improve his foot speed and agility.

Last year at training camp, the Canucks liked the work of minor-league journeyman Justin Kurtz and he played 27 NHL games before returning to Manitoba for good. Later, Bryan Helmer was recalled by the Canucks to make 40 NHL appearances. Allen figures his assignment to the Moose was time well spent.

"Obviously you're in the minors and not where you want to be, [but] you always try to put a position spin on things," he added. "Playing with Zenith, we played against the [opposition's] top line every game.

"It was a challenge, we took it and that was a big leap because there's some good players in the AHL that can play in the NHL. Still, you've got to make the most of your own opportunity."

For Allen, that begins immediately as he's rated the top prospect in the Vancouver organization.



BACK