Flyers prospect Wade Allison isn’t thinking about what-ifs as he takes the long road back from knee injury

In a perfect scenario, Wade Allison would have already signed an entry-level deal with the Flyers and been ready to become the team’s third-line right winger this coming season.

A devastating knee injury, however, has gotten in the way.

Instead of being signed and battling for a spot on the Flyers, Allison, 21, is headed to Western Michigan for his senior year, hoping his right knee stays sound for an entire season.

“I didn’t think I would be going back for four years, but that’s sometimes how the cards go,” he said at the Flyers’ development camp in Voorhees the other day. “It’s something I look forward to. I’m excited to go back.”

Allison, selected in the second round with a 2016 draft pick the Flyers received in the trade that sent Kimmo Timonen to Chicago, prefers not to look at the what-ifs surrounding his development.

“It’s absolutely an emotional roller coaster,” he said. “One day, you’re on top of the world. You’re like, ‘Yeah, things are doing good. I’m on time.’ Then the next day, you’re like, ‘This [stinks]. I’m so far behind.’ You really kind of just stay in the middle. … Just trying to keep it even. Keep it light.”

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Allison is the prototypical power forward and has a promising future if his knee ever gets back to normal.

Two seasons ago, Allison had 15 goals and 15 assists in 22 games and was being mentioned as a strong candidate for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the nation’s top college player.

But he tore his ACL and separated a shoulder on Jan. 13, 2018, in a game against St. Cloud State. He had season-ending knee surgery the next week.

Seventeen months later, the knee is still giving him problems. Allison, who said he was originally told his knee would feel like normal in six months, estimates it is 85 percent healthy and is bothersome when he puts weight on it.

Sometimes, “it’s an achy pain, and sometimes it feels like somebody just put a knife in me,” he said. “It’s uncomfortable, and late in the day, it’s more like a constant ache. Sometimes I’ll be having a good day, and I’m driving my car and I’ll just push on the gas pedal and all of a sudden my knee just starts going everywhere. Each day is different, but we’re working on it and getting closer.”

Allison did return to play for Western Michigan early last season. He managed to get into 22 games and collected eight goals and 15 points.

He said he wasn’t able to skate enough to get his cardio going and, as a result, got winded easily. The knee continued to act up, and he frequently had to come out of the lineup.

“Last year wasn’t fun,” he said. “… You don’t really realize how important your knees are until you don’t have one. For me, the biggest thing right now is I have to get comfortable and get confident. This year, I worked at less than 50 percent of the capability on this knee. I was limited because of the pain.”

By the time Western Michigan’s season rolls around, he figures, things will be better.

“We’re headed in the right direction; it’s the best it’s felt since I hurt it,” he said. “It’s not normal yet. … They told me it’ll be about two years [from the surgery] before I’m 100 percent on it, so I still have a little bit left to go. I mean, I feel better and more confident on it and trust it more, so we’re getting there.”

Does he see himself signing with the Flyers?

“Yeah, one day, hopefully,” said Allison, who can become an unrestricted free agent if he doesn’t sign by Aug. 15, 2020.

If it wasn’t for the injury, he probably would have already signed with the team.

“Obviously, I can’t tell you exactly what they’re thinking,” he said. “I can tell you I would love to be here.”

As for his final season at Western Michigan, where he will be teammates with Ronnie Attard, a defenseman who was drafted Saturday by the Flyers, Allison said, “We’re going to compete for a championship this year. We have a great group of guys, great coaching staff. We’re real excited for the season to start.”

He’s also excited about the Flyers’ retooling in the offseason.

“They’re going to be a dangerous team next year, and they have a lot of good, young prospects down below, so they’re headed in the right direction,” he said. “I mean, this is the Philadelphia Flyers. What’s not to like?”