Grading Kyle Davidson's first-round picks in his third draft as Chicago Blackhawks GM

1 of 5

The first round of the 2024 NHL draft is now history, and the Chicago Blackhawks made some very solid picks in my opinion.

However, it is worth saying that one cannot judge a prospect entirely on the night of the draft. The fact remains that we simply don't know what we truly have with these players until they see the ice in a real NHL game.

That said, I did disagree with the decision to draft Levshunov over Demidov. I will be the first to admit that I will be wrong in feeling this way if Levshunov becomes everything he has been projected to become. Many, (including Davidson obviously) project Levshunov as a slam-dunk number one defenseman in the NHL, and possibly even an elite/franchise-level defenseman.

#Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson on why Artyom Levshunov was the pick at No. 2 overall: "I just think the total package. He can drive offense, he can skate, he's super mobile, he's got good size, he's aggressive, he's a physical defender and we just think there's more upside to come.… pic.twitter.com/XDDCivObBI
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) June 29, 2024

Based on that description he sounds similar to Quinn Hughes. That should excite Blackhawks fans to hear as Hughes is now officially a Norris Trophy winner.

I have anecdotally heard several people saying they see Levshunov as that level of defenseman. Hey, if he is going to become the best defenseman in the entire league then obviously Davidson chose wisely here. Let's dig more into Davidson's overall draft strategy, and ultimately give him a grade for his three first-round picks.