What position should the Chicago Blackhawks address with the 18th overall pick in the NHL Draft?

Select Levshunov at 2 and then take a forward at 18...

If the Blackhawks decide to pick Levshunov, he'll be the foundational piece to round out their future blueline. Most of the young defenders in the system are all left-handed, and Levshunov would give them a blue-chip prospect for their right side.

Levshunov's 35 points in 38 NCAA games surpassed the draft-year numbers of NHL defenders Quinn Hughes and Owen Power, though Levshunov is not quite the elite skater that Hughes is. However, that is not a knock against his skating, as his footwork and overall game continues to take strides since coming over to North America from Belarus.

With Alex Vlasic and Kevin Korchinski looking to take the next step as part of the Blackhawks core defenders of the future, Levshunov could give them a dependable option on their top pair for years to come.

This gives the Blackhawks flexibility to take a forward with the 18th pick, and Corey Pronnman's recent seven-round mock draft (subscription required) has the same scenario play out. Here at BlackhawkUp, we agree that this player would be the forward the Blackhawks select at 18.

With the 18th overall pick, the Chicago Blackhawks select from MoraIK (HockeyAllsvenskan), Michael Brandsegg-Nygard

Brandsegg-Nygard checks a lot of the Blackhawks boxes when looking at their recent draft picks. He is a strong skating and high-intensity player who could be ready for professional hockey sooner than most in this first round.

Posting 18 points in 41 games for Mora IK in the Allsvenskan league, Brandsegg-Nygard became a high-riser in this draft for his play during league playoffs and the world juniors. His 10 points in 12 playoff games and 5 points in 5 world junior games showed his ability to rise up to the occasion in big moments.

At 6-foot-one inch and 196 pounds, the Norwegian forward looks the part of a strong middle-six contributor who can play in all scenarios. His vision and hockey sense are strength of his which tie in well with his tenacity away from the puck.

The potential of Brandsegg-Nygard could make him a top-six forward if developed right, though he has one of the highest floors amongst forwards in the draft.

If Levshunov is the pick at 2, the Blackhawks would be ecstatic over taking the tenacious Norwegian forward with their next pick in the draft.