At No. 34 overall, the Note took Jake Allen, the best remaining goaltender. This was solid choice, adding still another prospect to the organization’s far-flung assortment of would-be netminders.

Here is how the guys at McKeen’s see Allen:

“Laid back (both on and off the ice) is the best way to describe Jake Allen . . . don’t let his laid-back demeanour fool you through because his preparation on and off the ice is exceptional . . .  an extremely focused individual on the task at hand, strong mentally . . . during intermissions at Mile One Center, Allen can be spotted outside the Fog Devils dressing room bouncing a ball off the wall (helps to keep him focused/relaxed) . . .  demonstrated repeatedly that he is ready to battle and compete once he is between the pipes . . .  prepared for each game as if he was going to be the starter, and as a result, was more than ready when called upon to replace Timo Pielmeier, which he did nine times during the course of the regular season and twice during the playoffs . . . definitely confident in his ability and it is clearly evident with his play on the ice (extra jump/bounce on his skates after a big save, positive body language) .. battled hard for teammates and in return they clearly battled for him . . . as the season progressed, the Fog Devils seemed to play a better overall game in front of Allen and were more comfortable taking chances offensively . . . has proven that setbacks do not bother him, at least not with respect to his play on the ice, as he works twice as hard after a loss or off game . . . not an extremely vocal goaltender on or off the ice, but his leadership qualities come through because of the way in which he plays the game .. definitely a team player, as he accepted and excelled with his role on the team . . . the 6-foot-1, 175-pound Fredericton, NB native is a butterfly-style goaltender (an athletic goaltender that is both agile and mobile) . . . set stance, keeps his glove high, his feet set and his eyes zoned in on the puck, not much movement outside the butterfly . . .solid on his skates, has good balance, moves extremely well around his crease and when leaving his crease to play the puck . . . loves to play the puck, whether that means leaving his crease to stop the puck for his defensemen or leaving his crease to headman the puck to a teammate to catch the opposition off guard . . .  like his idle Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils, Allen’s puckhandling and playmaking ability are strong points . . . demonstrated the ability to do both on a consistent basis . . . aggressive playing the puck at times, and made smart decisions more often then not .. focused on the play in both ends of the ice, keen in his puck pursuit in the defensive zone . . . solid positionally, displayed quickness moving up and down and post-to-post (lateral) . . . smooth movements and recovers extremely well . . . square to the shooter more often than not . . . exceptional rebound control overall, but sometimes gives up large rebounds, though usually they are kicked well out, not in the scoring areas .. possesses a quick glove hand and is effective with his pads along the ice . . . effective in using his blocker as well, plus has shown that he is not afraid to use the pokecheck on occasion . . . displayed the ability to read/react/anticipate the play in front of him . . . not afraid to challenge shooters (making himself big), but is also comfortable deep in his crease (relying on his quickness) . . .  does have a tendency to commit (drop down in butterfly) a little early on occasion . . . suspect high glove side on occasion . . . demonstrated that he is capable of dealing with the physical grind of playing his position . . .  displayed repeatedly that he is not bothered by traffic, being bumped or screened . . . never displayed signs of fatigue on a busy night between the pipes . . .  a steady, cool, calm and collected individual, whose body language does not change no matter if his team is winning 6-1 or losing 6-1.”

He will be at least a few years away, which is fine — because the Blues still must see if Marek Schwarz can be salvaged and if Ben Bishop can make a smooth transition from college hockey to the pros.