Blackhawks’ Levshunov celebrates 100 NHL game milestone

It’s no secret the Chicago Blackhawks are a very young team. They have a plethora of fresh faces who are at the beginning stages of their NHL careers. As a matter of fact, there are six players who are on track to hit their 100th NHL game this season. The first of these is defenseman Artyom Levshunov, who will play in his 100th game on Saturday (Oct. 31) when the Blackhawks take on the Boston Bruins.

Levshunov’s path to 100

The Belarusian native was selected by the Blackhawks second overall in the 2024 NHL Draft. At the time, there was plenty of controversy surrounding the pick. Many pundits believed the Blackhawks should’ve drafted Russian winger Ivan Demidov instead, to be a running mate for Connor Bedard.

But right-handed defensemen are hard to come by, and the Blackhawk’s obviously valued that over another forward. Demidov fell to fifth overall, taken by the Montreal Canadiens. But the two have been compared ever since, and it certainly doesn’t help that Demidov has become a very valuable asset for Montreal.

Meanwhile, Levshunov was a very raw player the Blackhawks knew they’d have to invest in; not to mention defensemen always take longer to develop than forwards.

It was determined by the organization that Levshunov should go pro instead of return to collegiate team, Michigan State University. He inked his entry-level contract with the Blackhawks in July 2024. "Signing Artyom gives us the opportunity to continue his development in-house and take the next step into professional hockey,” Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said. “He’s a strong two-way defenseman that has all the tools to be a high-end player in the NHL and we’re excited to continue his growth at the pro level."

Levshunov began his pro career playing 52 games with the Rockford IceHogs in the 2024-25 season. There, he registered five goals and 22 points and earned himself a call up to the Blackhawks in March. In 18 games, he showed his natural ability while also making mistakes. He contributed six assists, and it was considered a successful first foray into the NHL.

But the 2025-26 season was where Levshunov really got his feet planted, playing the entire season with the big club. In 68 games, he amassed two goals and 24 points. But this campaign was a little bit more of a mixed bag for the 20-year-old blueliner.

All season long he struggled with balancing being responsible defensively while also contributing offensively. He started the season playing well defensively, but then when he tried to add to his offensive game he would take steps back defensively. The consistency was never there. Sometimes “Arty” would do some unreal things and show his elite talent and strength on the ice. But other times he would make bad decisions with the puck on the defensive end. His minus-41 plus/minus rating was reflective of that.

An encouraging start to the 2026-27 campaign

In an effort to improve, Levshunov spent most of the offseason in Chicago working with the Blackhawk’s coaches and trying to hone his skills. It seems to have paid off, as Levshunov has turned out to be one of the most consistent defensemen this season.

While the team as a whole has struggled with defensive zone exits, Levshunov is actually one of the most successful defensemen at getting the puck out of the defensive zone. He looks more confident and comfortable in his assignments, and his understanding of his role.  

Head coach Jeff Blashill is encouraged by his start to the season and the strides he’s taken. I asked him recently how he felt about Levshunov’s development as he approached his 100 NHL game milestone.

“I think he's a better player today than he was a year ago this time last year. He’s going to turn 21 here, today. He's still a really, really young player that's continuing to get better. There's definitely areas where he will continue to improve. I think some of that's just experience, and there's no way to speed some experienced situations up.”

In addition to his pending 100 NHL games, Levshunov turned 21 on Oct. 28, which is what Blashill was referring to. He also spoke of the penalty kill being one of the areas in which more experience will help him improve. “When you've killed like Ian Cole for years, you know all the nuances of it. When you haven't, you've got to learn them, and the only way to learn them is by doing. And there's going to be a successive play related to that. But what I could say comfortably is definitely a better player today than he was a year ago.”

Levshunov has played most of the season so far on the second defensive pairing alongside Wyatt Kaiser. But he was playing on the top defensive pairing with Bowen Byram before the latter sustained an upper body injury. The hope is that this duo can become a solid top pairing when Byram returns.

Heading into his 100th game on Saturday, Levshunov has one goal (a game-winning overtime goal) and three points through 13 games. That's nothing to write home about just yet, but the progression both offensively and defensively is clear. Also, his minus-5 plus/minus rating is a breath of fresh air compared to his minus-41 from last season.

Blashill also expressed his belief that Levshunov has the potential to become an elite two-way defenseman in this league. “I think Arty could be an excellent two-way defenseman, meaning he could defend against great players because of his physical abilities, but yet still produce points, especially at five-on-five … If he can do that, it makes him a real commodity in this league.”

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