Yahoo Sports Blackhawks' Defenseman Chosen for Mid-Season Rookie All-Star Team
It is a good time to check in on the rookies just past the halfway point of the season as they are not only the future of the NHL, but the present. Some of the rookies have really impressed and are in a tight race for the Calder Trophy, while others might not get the respect they've already earned.
NHL's official site released their Rookie All-Star Team at the time when All-Stars would normally be selected to participate in the All-Star Skills Competition and All-Star Game. This all-rookie team features three forwards, two defensemen, and a goalie. Manning one of the points in the selections is Nolan Allan of the Chicago Blackhawks.
Allan might not be a name that many fans of hockey know, but that's because he is a defensive defenseman on one of the worst teams in the league. Connor Bedard also gets a ton of the attention directed towards Chicago.
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Allan didn't see any NHL action prior to this season and has played 40 games so far. There have been a lot of defensemen used in Chicago, but he has held firm on the back-end as he kills penalties as well.
As a rookie defenseman, Allan isn't getting as much playing time as he will down the line with only 15:10 per game this season. He's only 21 years old, but he knows how to throw his body around with 55 hits and knows how to sacrifice the body with 41 blocked shots.
Defensive defensemen aren't given as much recognition for their play as offensive players, but what Allan has done and can do is still impressive. There are some other defensemen who could challenge for the all-rookie team by the end of the season with more games, but the closest contenders to Allan's spot on the mid-season team is Isaiah George, Albert Johansson, or Owen Pickering.
Allan is second to Lane Hutson (also among the selections) in points from rookie defensemen with eight (one goal). Head coach Anders Sorensen said that "...he's got Niklas Hjalmarsson-type qualities in his game...so that should be a really good fit for some of these other guys."
With where Allan's game is at and the role he plays, the 32nd overall pick from the 2021 draft is set to have his role increased over the next few seasons and be a great shut-down d-man on the Blackhawks for years to come.
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