The Clock Is Ticking On Wade Allison and Tanner Laczynski
The two were in the final seasons of their collegiate careers and could become free agents in August if the Flyers don’t sign them.
Wade Allison and Tanner Laczynski were both drafted by the Flyers in 2016. Allison was taken in the second round, while it was the sixth round for Laczynski. He was off to Ohio State while Allison was set for Western Michigan.
With both of their collegiate careers coming to an end, the clock is ticking on a contract with the Flyers. As of right now, the deadline for the two to sign is August 15th. According to Bill Meltzer, there is no immediate rush to sign any of their collegiate prospects at the moment. With no hockey at any level right now, there seems to be plenty of time to get things done.
But a decision will have to be made at some point soon. The Flyers may be able to sign both players before the deadline. That is a few months away, though. All we can do right now is look back on their collegiate careers.
Wade Allison
Allison was drafted by the Flyers after his second USHL season with the Tri-City Storm. He posted 25 goals and 22 assists in 56 games. That was after he had six goals and seven assists in 35 games the season before. Allison also had nine goals and seven assists in the playoffs during his second season.
Allison impressed during his freshman season at Western Michigan. His 12 goals were fifth on the team while he was tied for fourth in points. He earned NCHC Rookie of the Week twice that season. That would, unfortunately, be the most complete season he would play during his collegiate career.
His sophomore campaign would be off to a solid start as well. He posted 15 goals and 15 assists in 22 games that season. Allison would score his first and second career hat tricks that season. He was looking like a star in the making. Unfortunately, Allison suffered a torn ACL in January of that season and would be out for the remainder of the season.
The injury followed him the following season as he only played in 22 games and was limited by that knee. He finished his junior season with eight goals and seven assists. His finishing touch was still on display at times, a slightly positive sign despite the injury. But it was clear Allison wanted to give it one last go in college, thus the Flyers held off on offering him a contract after his junior year.
A shoulder injury limited Allison once again this past season. He did appear in 26 games this season and was back up to double-digit goals (10) and over 20 points (23). But injuries have followed Allison the past three seasons. So that will be a tough call for Chuck Fletcher and the Flyers to make.
Allison has shown that he is capable of being an impact player. But were the injuries just unlucky and he’s likely to rebound? Or is there a chance Allison may never fully recover? That’s the risk the team will have to ponder over the next little while.
Tanner Laczynski
Laczynski was drafted in the fifth round in 2016 after spending the season between the Chicago Steel and Lincoln Stars of the USHL. He showed off a clear scoring touch, posting 10+ goals in each season in the USHL. He averaged just under a point-per-game (0.98) in the league.
The scoring didn’t stop there. He posted 10 goals and 22 assists during his freshman season with Ohio. The team voted him as the squad’s Most Valuable Freshman. He was fourth in points among B1G rookies and 11th among NCAA freshman, averaging 0.94 PPG.
Laczynski was even better during his sophomore season. He broke out for 17 goals and 30 assists. He racked up the awards and honors at the end of the season. He was named to the Second Team West All-American, First Team All-Big Ten. He was also a top-three finalist for Big Ten Player of the Year.
He was third in the B1G in PPG (1.15) and tied for 11th in the NCAA in assists and points. At that point in his career, his 1.05 PPG was 11th among all 2017-18 NCAA sophomores, juniors and seniors.
Going into his final two seasons, Laczynski entered as a B1G Player to Watch. Injuries limited him slightly during his junior year. He missed nine games total, still posting 30 points in 27 games. His point total was second on the team. He would lead the team in points and assists during his final season. He would end his collegiate career averaging 1.04 PPG.
Among the long list of nominees for the Hobey Baker Award, Laczynski has been fairly consistent throughout his collegiate career and could give the Flyers another scoring threat.
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Between the two of them, Laczynski is more likely to receive a contract. That is if the Flyers are truly worried about Allison’s knee and overall injury history. Either way, there are still a few months before both would become free agents. The Flyers have time to decide if they want to sign either player.