Capitals Defensive Prospect Cam Allen Sidelined Until 2024

Cam Allen, the Washington Capitals’ fifth-round selection in June’s NHL Draft, will be sidelined until the 2024 calendar year, the OHL’s Guelph Storm announced Wednesday.

Allen, a two-way defenseman, will undergo shoulder surgery on Aug. 30.

General Manager George Burnett announced today that veteran defenseman Cameron Allen will undergo shoulder surgery on August 30th. Allen is expected to return to the Storm lineup in the new year. pic.twitter.com/kxwl8XVarJ

— Guelph Storm (@Storm_City) August 16, 2023

Allen quickly burst onto the scene in 2021-22 — his first in the OHL — and tallied 37 points in 65 games, collecting honors as the league’s rookie of the year. He experienced a regression the following year, collecting only 25 points in 62 games.

“I think I struggled a little bit with some consistency this past season, and I think it’s a big mental thing for me, but something I’ve continuously worked on and look forward to working on more,” Allen said at the draft. “I think that’s gonna be something that can really help me round out my game and have a consistent performance every night.”

Despite his slide, the Capitals see high upside in Allen.

“I thought he definitely, for me, had a chance of going a couple rounds higher, but I kind of get it,” Capitals assistant general manager Ross Mahoney said. “Maybe sometimes when your year doesn’t go the way you want it to as compared to your underage year, maybe you slide a little bit in the draft, and I think that’s probably the case with Cam.”