Chicago Blackhawks make an interesting first-round pick

The 2021 NHL Draft was off to a very interesting start before they even took the stage for the first selection. It turned out to be a big night for the Chicago Blackhawks. Going in, the Hawks were heavily rumored to be in on Seth Jones of the Columbus Blue Jackets. That ended up coming true after making a blockbuster deal with Columbus. It is very exciting to think about that type of defenseman coming to town.

One of the pieces involved in the trade was the Hawks’ first-round pick this year. It went to Columbus so the 12th overall pick was theirs now. Luckily, one of their first-round picks went back to the Hawks, albeit later in the round. It was the pick that Columbus received from the Tampa Bay Lightning in a trade deadline deal. Of course, the Lightning won the Cup so it was the 32nd (last) pick of the round.

With that pick, the Blackhawks selected Nolan Allan. Allan is a defenseman from the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL. He is a bigger kid that focuses his game on being a defensive defenseman. We all know that is something that the Hawks need really badly. He is going to take a few years to develop but could become someone that plays well at the NHL level.

It wasn’t necessarily a name that people were expecting but the staff clearly has a plan on what they want to do with their future pieces. There are plenty of other nice young players that they consider a part of the future and they are hoping Allan is one of them.

The Chicago Blackhawks need to be very smart with the way they handle their defense.

With Jones signing an eight-year extension on top of the final year of his current deal, Allan will have someone to look up to when he does reach the NHL. The old guard is gone on defense but help is on the way. We don’t know what the team will look like when (if) he does reach the NHL but you can bet that they believe in him.

As of right now, the Blackhawks have six more selections to make in the draft. There is a chance that more trades are on the horizon but it is hard to see at this point after everything they gave up for Jones. Developing Allan and his defensive-minded game is something that the Hawks need to take seriously now and it is going to be a lot of fun to watch.