How Artyom Levshunov has been a "difference maker" early for the Blackhawks

It's only been nine games into the season for the Chicago Blackhawks, but one encouraging trend has been from defenseman Artyom Levshunov.

He has put together some really strong outings, and there is optimism that his second full season in Chicago could be the true breakout that the team has been expecting.

He has been one of the Blackhawks most effective defensemen so far.

Levshunov's improvements on the ice

Last season on the Blackhawks, the team worked hard with 20 year old Levshunov on finding the balance with his offense and defense to make sure his defense was sound first.

Even though it is still early on in the season, he has looked improved on both sides of the puck, he is contributing on the team's penalty kill, and then there is the stats.

He has three points in nine games (tied for the lead on defense with Wyatt Kaiser), is second on the team in ice time, averaging 20:27 minutes a night. He is tied for first on the team in takeaways with Kaiser (5), ranks third in hits (16), and is one of only three Blackhawks players with a game-winning goal, which came in overtime against the Winnipeg Jets on Oct. 15.

I spoke with Levshunov on Oct. 15 and asked what was working for him: "Just playing consistently, right? Playing confident, playing smart, fast, hard."

Even though Bowen Byram has been out with an upper-body injury since Oct. 15, he was paired with Levshunov for six games, and those two seemed to find chemistry. Their goals-for and against is 3-3, and their high-danger chances for and against is 13-12.

I asked Levshunov about playing with Byram:

"It's been good. We feel each other on the ice, help each other on the ice. So I think, yeah, it's been good, and we like playing with each other, I think."

When Byram returns, it wouldn't be out of the question for them to be paired together again. But in the meantime, Levshunov has been skating with Kaiser, with whom he clicked well last season.

If Levshunov can keep up this level of play...

What stands out about Levshunov so far is that last season, he had good plays here and there. However, this is the first time things have come together on a more consistent basis.

He looks more assertive on the ice, and that also applies to getting the puck on net more often. He is seventh on the Blackhawks in shots on goal (12).

Head coach Jeff Blashill said about Levshunov on Oct. 15, "I've said this in here before. Like he's amongst the elite athletes. He's an elite athlete, and so he has physical tools that just other people don't have. He's so, so physically strong. Honestly, it's crazy. I think he's done a good job of playing both sides of the puck, and he's still learning. I think learning that consistent level of when to pressure, when not to pressure without the puck, and he's still kind of learning and growing of when to attack offensively and when not to. But I think he's done it. He's balanced that pretty good. He's not going to be perfect. Part of the growth is he's going to have to grow through some mistakes, and that's okay because we see a high end at the end of it; of a two-way defenseman.

"We talked about (Anton) Frondell being a two-way forward. I think Arty could be an excellent two-way defenseman, meaning he can defend against great players because of his physical abilities, but yet, still produce points, especially at five-on-five... He's not on the power play, so that'll take some points away. And so at the end of the year, you look at the stats, and maybe he's not up as high as other guys. But if he produces at a high level five-on-five, that's super valuable. I coached a guy in Tampa, Brandon Hagel, that did that to a large degree. I know it's a different position, but he was so valuable because he could produce at five-on-five, and I think if Arty can help produce points, even though not on the power play and defend hard, man, it makes him a real commodity in this league."

Levshunov's contributions are not going unnoticed by his teammates either. Blackhawks' captain Connor Bedard told me what he's seen from him on Oct. 17: "I think we saw it from the start of the season. He's (the) second overall pick and has such a high skill level. But you see it as guys play. Like you get more comfortable and stuff. We always knew he was going to be a special player, and he's just going to keep getting better, which is the exciting part. But he's looked great. He's been a difference maker every night. So it's exciting for us, and excited to watch him keep getting better."

If Levshunov can keep up his play throughout the rest of the season, look out.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow