Is Artyom Levshunov a Future Chicago Blackhawk?

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Yes, every Blackhawks fan would love to win the draft lottery 2 years in a row. Yes, Macklin Celebrini is going to go 1st overall. Sitting in the 31st (2nd worse) spot right now that'd give them a 13.5% chance at landing at #1. It also means, an 86.5% chance they select a player at picks 2nd, 3rd, or 4th overall.

In this particular draft that could mean any number of players such as Cayden Lindstrom, Sam Dickinson, Ivan Demidov, Cole Eiserman, Berkly Catton, Anton Silayev, Zeev Buium, or Konsta Helenius. More likely though.... it looks like Artyom Levshunov is checking all the right (pun intended) boxes at the moment from a Blackhawks colored lens.

Artyom Levshunov is a big 6'2 200lb right shot defenseman from Belarus but playing for the Michigan State Spartans in the NCAA. The Big Ten conference is a physical one and at the moment the Spartans are playing excellent hockey. The team is deep, tough, and has excellent defense and play in the crease (Trey Augustine). A big reason for the early success is because of a freshman from Belarus.

Already 18 (10-28-05) Levshunov made his way to East Lansing after coming to North American to play for the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL. It was there that he started to make a name for himself (42 points in 62 games) after playing in the Vysshaya league in his home country. It was not a traditional path for a player, but one that seems to paying off as Artyom continues to see his profile grow.

Great Lakes Invitational / Michael Miller/ISI Photos/GettyImages

How will his game translate to the NHL?

Let's start with his play before he got to Michigan State. Below you'll see a highlight package from his year in the USHL. Physically ahead of the competition, but also showing excellent skating and the ability to keep his head up while making turns, pivots, and reversals on passes. This is a crucial part of any top pairing blue liner at the next level, one that Levshunov looks to have had at an early age.

When he arrived at Michigan State (of note; Duncan Keith also went to Michigan State) Levshunov's game and physical maturity was not that of a freshman. Big, strong, and skilled he is above a point per game at the moment (24 points in 23 games) for a deep team that has 6 players at 20points or above and 11 over .5 ppg. All that and with Trey Augustine (.913 save percentage) and this could end up being a potential frozen four season for the Spartans.

Below this is a breakdown on his overall play in his D minus 1 year for Green Bay. You'll note the focus on that he is not just an offensive defenseman as he uses his strength, size, and skating to potentially become an elite two way option as he progresses.

As of today, amongst the top scouting services, Levshunov is now ranked between 2nd all the way to 10th for draft eligible players. Some of those rankings (like the 10th ranking) are over 6 weeks dated however. The #2 ranking (NA skaters by Central Scouting) is new this week however and shows a trend upwards that Levshunov is now a likely top 5 pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. His consolidated draft position has now risen to #5 overall on Elite Prospects as well. This is the range that the Chicago Blackhawks will likely draft.

So is Artyom Levshunov a fit for the Chicago Blackhawks?

Yes, yes, and yes. Artyom Levshunov is 100% a fit for the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2024 draft.

1. He plays the right side on defense. The Blackhawks have a lot of good defensive prospects, but perhaps only 2 that project to top 4 NHL roles (Korchinski and Vlasic, both already on the NHL roster) and they are both left handed.

2. Levshunov has size and is physical. Chicago is likely looking for a defender that can play both sides of the puck effectively. Artyom, at 6'2 200lbs already, is 18 and knows how to engage and halt an offensive rush. He also shows the ability to be tough in spirited competition (as shown in the rival games when the Spartans play the Wolverines).

Michigan v Michigan State / Michael Miller/ISI Photos/GettyImages

3. Artyom Levshunov will be in the NHL quickly. As the Chicago Blackhawks continue to build their roster for the next era of hockey, they may be looking at defenders that project faster to the NHL than some other teams as both Kevin Korchinski (19) and Alex Vlasic (22) are already establishing themselves at the United Center.

Will Chicago even have a chance to draft Levshunov?

Here is the question that scares me though. Without question, even 160 days before the draft, I believe that picks 2 through 10 may just come down to team preference. If the Blackhawks draft 2nd, they can take Levshunov. After #2 overall though, I'm not sure he will be there. Maybe Demidov comes back from injury and secures himself as the 2nd best prospect. Perhaps Sam Dickinson is just too safe of a pick for a team and they select him above Levshunov.

London Knights v Windsor Spitfires / Dennis Pajot/GettyImages

Cole Eiserman may score a record # of goals this year, and despite his other deficiencies, could be just taken on that fact alone. Anton Silayev is this years "unicorn" player and is seen as a great skating defender that just so happens to be 6'7 and a younger player for the class. All of these players could just be the preferred selection for any team if they draft ahead of the Blackhawks.

U18 Ice Hockey World Championship 2023 - Semi Final / Eurasia Sport Images/GettyImages

For Chicago though, it seems like Artyom Levshunov is quickly becoming the perfect pick if they don't win the draft lottery for a second consecutive year. As mentioned on the previous page (3 points) Levshonov sure does look like a good bet to be a future Chicago Blackhawk.

The other option here for the Blackhawks seems to be to take a forward at the top of the draft (Lindstrom, Demidov, Catton, Eiserman, or Celebrini) and then look at the defenders with the Tampa Bay 1st round pick acquired in the Brandon Hagel deal. That would mean players like Adam Jiricek, Aron Kiviharju, Zayne Parekh, Carter Yakemchuk, or Henry Mews. All of which are good prospects, but not quite like Artyom Levshunov.... potential future Chicago Blackhawk?

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