Sharks Sign Nolan Allan To Two-Year Contract

According to a team announcement, the San Jose Sharks have signed defenseman Nolan Allan to a two-year contract. Allan was projected to become a restricted free agent without arbitration rights in a few days.

The first year of the deal will pay Allan $850K at the NHL level and $300K at the AHL level, as a two-way contract. However, in the second year, Allan’s salary will rise to $900K, and it will convert to a one-way contract. Given that his qualifying offer would have been $990K, the Sharks were able to decrease Allan’s salary below his qualifying offer for the next few seasons by guaranteeing him an NHL salary in the second year of the contract.

San Jose acquired Allan this past season from the Chicago Blackhawks in an early January trade, along with Laurent Brossoit for Ryan Ellis‘ contract and defenseman Jake Furlong. Despite being a first-round pick of the Blackhawks back in the 2021 NHL Draft, Allan had fallen out of favor with the organization this past season.

This caused Allan to spend the entire 2025-26 campaign in the AHL, split between the Rockford IceHogs and San Jose Barracuda after spending more than half of the 2024-25 campaign with Chicago. Still, it’s safe to say he struggled in his rookie year, but that’s not dissimilar to many of his teammates throughout the 2024-25 season.

Allan finished the 2024-25 campaign with one goal and eight points in 43 games with a -13 rating, averaging 15:08 of ice time. He showed a willingness to block shots and contribute physically, but his 41.5% CorsiFor and 89.3% on-ice SV% at even strength left much to be desired.

As a left-handed defenseman, of which the Blackhawks have several in the pipeline, Allan was passed up on the organizational depth chart, leading to the mid-season trade to the Sharks. He had a relatively decent production to finish the year, scoring two goals and 14 points in 35 games for the Barracuda with a -10 rating.

Depending on what the Sharks do this offseason, the odds are that Allan won’t crack the opening night roster for the 2026-27 season. Additionally, unless his development dramatically improves next year, it’s difficult to see Allan in anything other than a depth role for the final year of his contract, if he can make the team at all.