Ranking the Chicago Blackhawks' Top 25 Prospects: No's. 11-15

No. 12: Nolan Allan (2021 Draft: Round 1 #32 overall)

Nolan Allan is a player who seems to get overlooked in the Blackhawks system, but that does not make him a lesser prospect.

Allan is coming off his debut season with the IceHogs where he tallied 16 points in 60 games. Scoring has never been what Allan's game is about, as the left-handed defender is a true shut-down defenseman and has been ever since he was drafted.

Playing top minutes in Rockford this season, Allan was one of the IceHogs' top defenders before going down to a lower-body injury in April. His skating and hockey IQ have always been a strength of Allan's game as he is a very smart defender who plays a simple game.

Last season, Allan was one of the final cuts from the Blackhawks roster in preseason and he earned a lot of respect from the coaching staff for his composed play style. The six-foot, two-inch defender uses his size well and plays a game that might not get all the glory, similar to Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson.

Allan may find himself fighting for a roster spot again this season, though he may spend another full season in Rockford to polish his game before making the jump to the NHL.

No. 11: Wyatt Kaiser (2020 Draft: Round 3 #81)

Wyatt Kaiser was close to being left off this list due to the amount of NHL games he's played, but we decided to keep him on because he has not played a full season yet.

After three seasons at the University of Minnesota-Duluth (NCAA), Kaiser's arrival in Chicago was highly anticipated. He impressed at the collegiate level due to his strong skating ability and composure at both ends of the ice. The left-handed defenseman played with lots of poise and showed solid offensive promise as well.

During last year's preseason, Kaiser looked like one of the Blackhawks' best players and a shoo-in to make the roster out of training camp. However, it was clear early in the season that he needed some time to develop. He began taking more penalties and looked overwhelmed at times.

Kaiser was sent to Rockford where he played 34 games, tallying 18 points. The approach was to give him the chance to play in all situations for the IceHogs to help grow his game, similar to what Alex Vlasic did during the 2022-23 season.

Once he came back up to the Blackhawks, Kaiser looked much better. He played much more calm and was smarter about his decision making. This is why he could challenge for a full-time spot out of camp once again.

Kaiser looks like he could be a reliable NHL defenseman, and it seems the team believes he can become that as well. He will be a player to watch throughout training camp to see if he earns a spot for himself.