Who is Ryan McAllister?
A look at recent Panthers signing Ryan McAllister, his strengths, his weaknesses, his career to this point, and if he has the potential to be productive at the NHL level.
Yesterday, the Florida Panthers signed Western Michigan’s Ryan McAllister to a 3-year entry level contract starting in the 2023-24 season and announced that McAllister has signed a PTO with AHL Charlotte and will be playing there for the remainder of the season.
McAllister just wrapped up a very impressive freshman season for the Western Michigan Broncos, putting up 49 points (13 goals, 36 assists) in 39 games, putting him 6th in points and tied for 3rd in assists (more points than Panthers first round draft pick Mackie Samoskevich and Hobey Baker finalist Matt Knies). McAllister first came on to the scene thanks to some incredible production with the AJHL’s Brooks Bandits as a 19 year old putting up 139 points in 60 games and winning the Canadian Junior Hockey League MVP award.
The main knock on McAllister seems to be his size (he’s only 5’10” and 183 pounds) and the fact that his skating is a bit mediocre. He needs to improve his speed and elusiveness in order to handle the physicality and faster pace of play that exists in both the AHL and the NHL. His defensive play also needs some work and he struggles along the boards, which could be problematic in the Paul Maurice dump-and-chase “playoff style” system that the team has been trying to implement over the past year. There also are some questions over his recent spike in scoring that came out of nowhere in the AJHL last year and whether or not that will end up being sustainable at the pro level. The fact that his scoring touch did translate to college is a positive sign that the spike in scoring from Brooks isn’t an aberration and that he can bring that scoring touch to the pro level.
When it comes to his strengths, McAllister has incredible vision and offensive instincts. His hockey IQ is superb and he thinks the game very well, being very adept at creating space for himself to get off shots or make a play for his teammates both off the rush and in set plays in the offensive zone. McAllister also plays with a lot of confidence and tenacity in his game despite his small stature, but also has the hands to control the puck very smoothly and make quick and accurate passes, which is critical for good transition play and quickly taking advantage of rush opportunities. When in space, McAllister’s shot is not only accurate but fast. It’s not overpowering, but its pinpoint accuracy is what makes it truly dangerous. If he can figure out how to make space for himself in the AHL and NHL or be with line mates who can open up space for him to operate, McAllister can be an offensive dynamo for the Panthers’ organization and his strong hockey IQ, confidence, and composure are all key attributes that GM Bill Zito has an affinity for especially in regards to prospect evaluation.
McAllister does have a lot of the tools needed to become an absolute steal as an undrafted free agent out of college. He can score, make plays, thinks the game very well, stays composed, and is very well-disciplined, putting up only 38 penalty minutes in 60 games in his final year in Brooks and 14 penalty minutes in 49 games in his season at Western Michigan: all attributes that seem to be present in most of the undrafted hidden gems that emerge as NHL contributors in the last decade. His upside likely would be as a middle-six forward in the NHL who also gets plenty of time on the second power play unit. There’s a reason teams lined up to get Ryan McAllister after his great season at Western Michigan and the Florida Panthers have got themselves a great organizational depth piece with a lot of future upside. This is a fantastic pickup by Zito and Company.
You can see McAllister’s EliteProspects page by clicking here!
Also attached are highlights from two of McAllister’s better performances this season against Bowling Green and No. 4 Michigan.