Blackhawks get first chance to see if they were correct in drafting Levshunov over Demidov

The former second and fifth overall picks from last year's draft are set to face off for the very first time.

Ivan Demidov is slated to make his NHL debut for the Montreal Canadiens against the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night.

Demidov, who many Hawks fans wanted to see in a Chicago sweater, will square off with the man they took over him in Artyom Levshunov.

This highly anticipated matchup should make for a pretty exciting and hyped-up game, regardless of where the Blackhawks are in the standings.

Levshunov has performed well through the first 16 games of his NHL career, putting up six assists and averaging just over 20 minutes per game.

He has shown very promising signs of both his offensive and defensive game, though there is still plenty to learn.

Demidov, before making the jump to the NHL, was also having a very good season for his team in the KHL with 45 points in 65 games. He is a very dynamic player and has produced very well for someone his age in a league where it is difficult to even get limited minutes.

Both players are highly skilled and talented in their own regards and are going to be a huge piece of the present and future for their teams respectively.

Though one game isn't going to dictate how their careers go and is pretty meaningless for the Blackhawks, it would be nice for Hawks fans and I'm sure GM Kyle Davidson to see a win to show he made the right pick.

Another youngster, Ryan Greene, who just signed his entry-level contract, is also expecting to make his NHL debut Monday against the Canadians. He is coming off a tough Frozen Four final loss to Western Michigan on Saturday night, where he had one assist in the game, and will now make the jump to the show, as many other Blackhawk prospects have done this season.

What's at Stake?

The second-to-last game of the season for both teams shapes up to be a pretty important one for one side. The Canadians just need one win to clinch a playoff spot for the first time since the 2020-21 season, where they made it to the Stanley Cup finals but lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 5 games.

Although this game doesn't mean much to the Hawks, they can play the ultimate spoiler in preventing the Canadians from clinching a playoff spot, which can maybe give them a little extra motivation going into Monday's tilt.

These two teams faced off once back in January where the Blackhawks prevailed with a 4-2 win over the Canadians backstopped by a 38-save performance from Arvid Soderblom and 2 goals from Captain Nick Foligno.

The Hawks will look to keep the last wild card spot open in the east just a little longer with a win as they take on the Montreal Canadiens at 6:00 CST at the Bell Centre.