The Chicago Blackhawks announced on Jan. 8 that they made a trade with the San Jose Sharks:
This looks like a “fresh start” trade for both teams.
Trade Recap
The Blackhawks’ side of this deal is a lot to unpack. To start, Nolan Allan, the 22-year-old defenseman, has been in the Blackhawks’ system since 2021 (a first-round draft pick). He made his NHL debut last season and played in 43 games, recording eight points.
Allan had a solid training camp, and it seemed possible he could make the team out of camp. But he was assigned to the Rockford IceHogs, where he has played all season, recording six points in 29 games. He is a young, promising defenseman. However, his path back to the Blackhawks seemed murky.
Considering their logjam at defense with their core of Connor Murphy, Matt Grzelyck, Louis Crevier, Alex Vlasic, Wyatt Kaiser, Artyom Levshunov, and then prospects like Sam Rinzel, Kevin Korchinski, and Ethan Del Mastro still in the mix, it didn’t seem like there was a spot for him long-term.
So, Allan gets a chance to forge an NHL path with San Jose.
When it comes to goaltender Laurent Brossoit, he was activated from the injured non-roster list in early December after missing all of last season with lower-body injuries and procedures. The good news is he is healthy and was sent to Rockford on a conditioning assignment. After his conditioning assignment, he was recalled, placed on waivers, cleared waivers, and sent back to Rockford. He played six games with the IceHogs, posting a 3-3-0 record, with a 3.38 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage.
But behind Spencer Knight, Arvid Söderblom, and Drew Commesso in net, a path back to the Blackhawks seemed slim. Insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Blackhawks allowed teams to speak to him, and so this trade is a fresh start for him after enduring a lot. It’s the final season of his contract, which he signed with the Blackhawks in free agency in 2024.
As far as the player the Blackhawks received, Jake Furlong was a fifth-round draft pick by the Sharks in 2022. The 21-year-old defenseman has been with the San Jose Barracuda for the last two seasons. This season, he has two points in 12 games. Assumingly, he will play in Rockford, and bring more depth.
Related: Notable Blackhawks’ Player Stats Midway Through the 2025-26 Season
For the financial side, Ryan Ellis has been unable to play since 2021 due to injury, and the Sharks acquired his contract in October. The catch is, the eight-year contract Ellis got from the Nashville Predators expires at the end of 2026-27 ($6.25 million cap hit).
Chicago’s projected salary cap space for next season, according to PuckPedia, is $47.85 million, while the salary cap floor is $76.9 million. So, as Tab Bamford of Bleacher Nation pointed out, it helps their future spending needs. They only have 15 players under contract for next season (including Ellis). Furthermore, they added even more draft capital with the 2028 fourth-round pick, while only parting with a seventh-round pick.
Overall, players received new opportunities, and both teams were able to utilize Ellis’ contract and draft picks to their advantage. It’s not a monumental NHL trade by any means, but it was also beneficial.
