Chicago Blackhawks' former first round pick deemed odd one off upcoming seasons roster

The Chicago Blackhawks have a good problem on their hands. Multiple prospects have taken prominent spots in the lineup over veteran UFA placeholders who could be exiting the organization when July rolls around.

One of their top prospects, Nolan Allan, will have to compete for a spot, and we're unsure whether he could make the cut. Allan, a 32nd overall pick in the 1st-round of the 2021 NHL draft, will have his work cut out for him.

While Allan did see significant ice time in the NHL, playing 43 games and scoring 8 points (1 goal, 7 assists), it might be difficult to convince the team to keep him around long-term.

Allan would gain notoriety as one of the league's top rookie defensemen

Allan made the opening night roster after the game in Utah and would stick in the lineup until February, when he'd later be demoted to Rockford.. Since then, he's found himself as a key piece of the IceHogs' blue line, scoring 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) in 20 games and will be a factor during the Calder Cup playoffs.

With Alex Vlasic securing the top spot on the left, he'll have to compete for the 7th-defenseman spot in the lineup with Wyatt Kaiser, Kevin Korchinski, and Ethan Del Mastro.

A notion that could be made more precarious if GM Kyle Davidson decides to add veteran talent to the lineup.

If he finds himself out of the lineup due to an overabundance of talent, he could be traded down the road. The Blackhawks could get a solid forward prospect out of a trade and flip him to a team that needs more depth on the blue line.

It seems GM Kyle Davidson has done well, as he's built a prospect pool deep enough to give him flexibility in the lineup, whether by trade or demotion, we'll find Allan's fate soon enough.