The Chicago Blackhawks have many great young defensemen in the organization. Some big names, like Alex Vlasic, Kevin Korchinski, and Artyom Levshunov, get a lot of hype.
One name that folks might want to start keeping an eye on is Nolan Allan. The young defenseman was a first-round pick by the Blackhawks (32nd overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft.
After some patience with his development, the Blackhawks are starting to see results. He is now playing with them at the NHL level and hasn’t looked out of place.
On Thursday night, Allan scored his first career NHL goal. He isn’t much of an offensive defenseman, but getting that first goal is always nice. Through his first 26 NHL games, Allan also has five points. He isn’t incapable of scoring or making plays but his main focus is defending the opposition.
“I hit the post and I thought to myself, I’m never going to get that opportunity again.” Said Nolan Allan on scoring his first NHL goal after hitting the goal post earlier in the game. “It was nice to get one today. Kind of weird how that works.”
After that comment, Allan confirmed that he didn’t have family in for the game but he was happy that someone got the puck for him. He didn’t know who it was that did it for him but he is certainly thankful.
Allan was also unsure what he planned on doing with the puck. One thing was clear, he was in a great mood and was happy to speak on the game.
For Anders Sorensen, who dealt with Allan in Rockford, he needs to keep playing him. Seth Jones is going to come back into the lineup and rightfully so but Allan should not be the one who comes out. There is no reason to bench him any time soon.
Some people overvalue offensive defensemen regardless of how they play in their end defensively. Every team needs a couple of guys who aren’t afraid to frame their whole game around being an outstanding shutdown player on the back end.
Hawks fans may remember Nicklas Hjalmarsson who was a key part of the team winning the Stanley Cup three times in six years back in the day. He didn’t score much at all but goals didn’t go in Chicago’s net when he was on the ice.
Allan is drawing a lot of comparisons to Hjalmarsson for that reason. Will he go on to have the success that the latter had? That remains to be seen but the ceiling is similar.
Accepting and executing a role is important in hockey. Being a player who skates at a high level, blocks shots, always has a good stick, and finds themselves in the right position all the time is incredibly valuable.
Kyle Davidson has drafted some very talented young blue-liners and a lot of them have been developing well in the system. It won’t be long before Allan is a part of a great core at the position.
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
Related: Blackhawks Win Three In Row For First Time In Connor Bedard Era
Read the full article here
