Artyom Levshunov: Future Star for the Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks had a crucial decision to make with the 2nd overall pick in the 2024 Draft, either insulate rookie phenom Connor Bedard with another skilled forward, or select a defensive cornerstone. GM Kyle Davidson made the right call by picking defenseman Artyom Levshunov. Some fans may have been caught off guard with this decision, but after looking into the direction the Hawks are in, the team’s positional needs, and Levshunov as a whole, its evident why Levshunov was the perfect pick.

Blackhawks Direction

Going from a consistent contender to a bottom feeding team is something most dynasty franchises have difficulty avoiding. Most of the time, the downfall is due to poorly aging contracts, not enough prospects to develop, and an overall depletion of assets from the prior competitive years. GM Kyle Davidson has been doing an astounding job guiding the Hawks through this tumultuous rebuild, stock piling valuable assets, bringing in veteran presences, and assuring the Hawks can be competitive for future years to come.

After the past few seasons of being at the bottom, the Hawks have sights on moving up the standings at a slow but steady pace. With the latest offseason additions of Tyler Bertuzzi, Teuvo Teräväinen, Alec Martinez, Laurent Brossoit and T.J. Brodie, it’s clear they are sticking with the plan of insulating their young core with veterans that know what it takes to be effective in the NHL. With this being the obvious case, it allows Davidson to build the franchise through the draft and acquire the best players for their future. Levshunov has the perfect organizational structure around him to become exactly what the Hawks need. With the foundational superstar already in the mix with Connor Bedard, all the Hawks need to do is stay patient and continue to develop from within.

Positional Needs

The one area of weakness the Hawks have found themselves in, is the lack of defensive prospects. The Hawks already have a plethora of young forwards developing into regular NHL players. Lukas Reichel, Philipp Kurashev, Frank Nazar, Oliver Moore, Paul Ludwinski and Ryan Greene are just a few names that could be part of the long term forward core, along with phenom Connor Bedard. In fact, between the 2022 Draft and the 2023 Draft, the Hawks only drafted 3 defensemen out of 22 draft picks. Since the organization depth is lacking at this position, it only makes sense that the team focuses on drafting defensemen that will provide a significant impact moving forward.

Standing 6’2″ and weighing in at 209 pounds, Levshunov has already grown into his frame due to his work ethic and commitment to fitness. His two-way game is strong, and he has all the tools to become a top pairing defensemen his whole career. Levshunov joins Kevin Korchinski, Sam Rinzel and recent standout, Alex Vlasic, as a valuable defensive core for the Hawks long term plans. Levshunov really is the cherry on top, immediately becoming the best prospect in the Hawks system since Bedard has already made his mark in the NHL. Realistically, Hawks fans should be ecstatic about what their top four defensive pairings could look like in the near future.

Potential to be a Star

In an era where top pairing defenseman need to be mobile, Levshunov has all the right weapons to be effective in this role. His game is already at a complete level, being able to shut down the oppositions rushes with his speed, utilize his size when being physical, and also has a dynamic offensive skill to be effective from the point. These assets go along way in todays game, and he is still going to be adding weapons to his arsenal as he matures. It’s difficult to deny that Levshunov has all the right foundations of a star studded defenseman.

We have already witnessed his production increase in playing one year of National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) hockey. In his first year in North America, Levshunov produced 42 points in 62 games playing for the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League (USHL). This past season, he made the jump to the NCAA putting up just under a point-per-game with 32 points in 35 games playing for Michigan State University. After a slow start, more than likely due to the increase of competition, Levshunov finally found his stride and was able to be extremely effective on both ends of the ice. This should give Hawks fans a considerable amount of hope that Levshunov will develop into a perennial star for the foreseeable future.

Time to Develop

As mentioned prior, GM Kyle Davidson has insulated his young team with experienced veterans that know what it takes to play in the NHL, and in some case, win a Stanley Cup. This experience can help the Hawks in a multitude of ways. One way these additions can be effective, is allowing the young prospects to develop properly without being thrust into an NHL role too soon. No doubt, having this vets in the locker room is just as important, yet developing valuable prospects at a steady rate will truly pay dividends for the Hawks in the long run.

Levshunov has signed his entry-level deal already meaning he will most likely start his NHL career playing for the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League (AHL). Unless Levshunov has an incredible camp, this move makes the most sense for his development. He will be able to have a significant role on the team, playing top pair in all situations and adapting to the speed of professional hockey, while also playing against physical opponents. The Hawks can surround him with all the right tools to help him continue to grow physically, mentally and emotionally. There should be no rush with throwing a young defender into the NHL, and the Hawks have set themselves up nicely to have the flexibility of developing Levshunov at the proper pace.

Value of Right Handed Defenders

It is no secret that one of the most sought out commodities in the NHL is a top pairing right-handed defenseman. Some team’s are never able to solve this deficit and wind up playing a left-handed defenseman on his off-side in order to have balanced pairings. Levshunov is not only projected to be a top pairing defenseman, but his right-handiness already skyrockets his value as an asset within the Hawks organization.

There is no insinuation that Levshunov’s high market value makes him subject for trade, however, it does mean the Hawks will no longer have to spend assets to fill that void. Having this young star in the system now also creates a reality where the Hawks can move on from another right-handed defenseman in Seth Jones, if they so choose, adding more assets towards their eventual playoff contention.

Final Thoughts

While some fans may have expected the Hawks to add more skill up front with their 2nd overall pick, its clear that GM Kyle Davidson made the right choice in selecting Artyom Levshunov. The organizations direction, lack of defenders in the system, and Levshunov’s foundations as a player, make it evident that Hawks fans should be excited for his potential. With so much hype surrounding the Hawks in the last year, Levshunov adds another element that fans will appreciate, and opposing teams will desire.