Nolan Allan went from the Raiders to the Seattle Thunderbirds in a deal that sent shockwaves through the WHL. (Submitted Photo/Mark Peterson Media)

By Rob Mahon

YIR Allan Trade

Year In Review: Raiders trade captain Allan for gigantic haul of players, picks

Dec 24, 2022 | 6:00 AM

As 2022 draws to a close, paNOW is taking a look back on the most important and impactful stories of the year, as selected by our reporters and editorial staff.

The Prince Albert Raiders organization has a recent history of dramatic trades involving future professional stars. In terms of the sheer volume of assets moving back and forth, none of those trades can match the one Raiders GM Curtis Hunt made on November 16, 2022.

Defenseman Nolan Allan, the Raiders’ captain, defensive lynchpin, and reigning team MVP, was dealt along with forward prospect Reese Shaw to the Seattle Thunderbirds for nine assets (three players and six draft picks). The players were forwards Gabe Ludwig and Brayden Dube, and defenceman Easton Kovacs. The picks were a first-round pick in 2023 belonging originally to the Kelowna Rockets, a first-round pick in 2024, a second-round pick in 2026, a third-round pick in 2024, a sixth-round pick in 2025, and a conditional sixth-round pick in 2026.

“We’re a third of the way through the season and we are on the outside looking in,” Raiders general manager Curtis Hunt said. “I believe this trade gives us better depth in our forward group and adds speed and skill up front. These draft picks allow us to further supplement our group as we work through the holiday season towards the (trade) deadline, in the event that there is an opportunity to make our group that much better again.”

Since the trade, Ludwig and Dube have become regular parts of the Raiders attack and see opportunities on the power play. Kovacs, meanwhile, has already put up more points with the Raiders than he did with the Thunderbirds and has spent much of his time with Landon Kosior on the top pair.

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Allan, meanwhile, has only played seven games with the Thunderbirds so far because he’s been away at camp with Canada’s World Junior team. He was named to the final roster for the tournament, which will run from December 26 to January 5.

READ: Longtime Raider Allan reflects on bittersweet trade to Seattle.

“It’s always going to be tough, leaving Prince Albert after playing there for four years, basically my whole junior career,” said Allan. “Definitely a bit of bittersweetness. It’s sad leaving the billets and the family, the coaching staff, and all the other people in the organization.”

Allan played 162 games with the Raiders over parts of five seasons prior to the trade. He was a first-round pick of the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks in 2021.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP