Blackhawks 2025-26 Player Previews: Nolan Allan

Allan is known more as a defensive defenseman, but his offensive production was quite admirable with the Thunderbirds. He registered seven goals and 16 points in 41 regular season games, along with two goals and 10 points in 19 playoff contests. The young blueliner joined the Rockford IceHogs for the 2023-24 season. There, he continued his steady contributions at the AHL level, posting five goals and 17 points in 60 games.

Because he played in Rockford at the end of the 2024-25 season, people tend to forget Allan made the Blackhawks’ roster out of training camp last season. He held his own through 43 games, averaging 15:08 minutes of ice time and playing mostly on the third pairing alongside T.J. Brodie. We all know Brodie struggled mightily last season, so this was an admirable feat for the rookie Allan.  

He also moved up and down in the lineup as needed, filling in on the second and even sometimes the first pairing while Seth Jones and Connor Murphy were out at different points with injuries. Allan’s seven assists even ended up being tied for fourth place among NHL rookie defensemen last season.

It wasn’t really an indictment of Allan’s play that he was sent down to the IceHogs in late February of 2025, but rather the organization wanting to give looks to other young defensive prospects, such as Ethan Del Mastro, Artyom Levshunov and Korchinski. Meanwhile, Allan was his usual solid self down the stretch in Rockford. He contributed two goals and six points in 20 regular season games, as well as four assists in seven playoff games!

Allan’s Role in 2025-26

I wouldn’t be in the least bit surprised if Allan made the team out of training camp this season as well. He’s a strong skater and physical player who’s not afraid to make a hit or block a shot. As a matter of fact, his 61 hits and 48 blocked shots were both ninth on the team last season, despite playing in just 43 games.

Plus, Allan can be deployed up and down in the lineup; he’s essentially a coaches dream. He might not have the offensive attributes of Korchinski or Levshunov, but he’s shown he’s a strong skater and plays a safe and consistent game. Let’s face it; all teams need a steady presence on the back end, which is something Allan can provide. It’s not unreasonable to wonder if the Blackhawk’s faith in this young player might be a reason fellow left-handed shot D-man Wyatt Kaiser hasn’t been signed to a contract yet.

We shall see how it all plays out, but look for Allan to be a strong defensive candidate this season.