LAS VEGAS — Artyom Levshunov approached the entire NHL draft process with a refreshing sense of levity, and that didn’t change even when the Blackhawks officially selected him Friday with the No. 2 overall pick.
“It was a special day for me, but...I just came to the draft and was drafted,” Levshunov said. “That’s it. Life goes on, right? [The] world goes on. I’m so excited again to be part of it.”
The 18-year-old defenseman, coming off an impressive freshman season at Michigan State, immediately leaps to the top of the Hawks’ already talented defensive prospect pool.
With Kevin Korchinski and Alex Vlasic already in the NHL, Wyatt Kaiser, Ethan Del Mastro and Nolan Allan in position to contend for NHL jobs in 2024-25 and Sam Rinzel developing in college, Levshunov adds potentially the final piece to the Hawks’ long-term defensive core. His right-handedness also fits well because, out of that group, Rinzel is the only other righty.
"[He’s] the total package,” general manager Kyle Davidson said.
Levshunov: “It feels real now.” pic.twitter.com/GP1XZ1NTUt
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) June 28, 2024
He becomes the highest-drafted Belarus native of all time — easily surpassing former Ducks defenseman Ruslan Salei, who went ninth overall in 1996 — and the highest-drafted Michigan State product since the Red Wings took forward Joe Murphy first overall in 1986.
Plus, he’s the first Michigan State product the Hawks specifically have drafted since 2002, when they nabbed a versatile defenseman by the name of Duncan Keith. That might be a good omen.
Levshunov, indeed, possesses the potential to grow into a true No. 1 NHL defenseman. He’s already 6-2 and 209 ounds. He’s able to make stops and force turnovers with ease in the defensive zone, move the puck smoothly through the neutral zone and contribute at a significant rate in the offensive zone.
His offensive game is more refined than his defensive game at this point, but he’s expected to continue developing in all areas.
“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,” Davidson said. “It was just so intriguing and something we really felt would make us a much better organization.”
To pick him, however, the Hawks passed up their shot at forward Ivan Demidov, who looked like a tailor-made future complement to Connor Bedard (who actually announced the Levshunov pick on stage at the Sphere).
Davidson reportedly tried to trade for the Blue Jackets’ No. 4 pick to scoop Demidov up in addition to Levshunov, per TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, but the trade didn’t come to fruition and the Russian winger fell to the Canadiens at No. 5.
Whether Levshunov will play in the NHL next season remains to be seen, since he’s also eligible to play in the AHL or to return to Michigan State for his sophomore year. Davidson implied the Hawks already have an idea in mind but want to discuss it with Levshunov’s agent, Dan Milstein, before announcing it.
In the meantime, Levshunov will fly to Chicago on Sunday to attend the Hawks’ off-ice-only development camp. There, the entire organization will almost certainly fall in love with his goofy, lighthearted personality, which he has managed to preserve in spite of his father’s death due to COVID-19 complications.
“He was supposed to be here on this day to see me,” Levshunov said. “But one time he told me, ‘Just be yourself, stay strong and you will be good.’”
Said scouting director Mike Doneghey: “His character [and] the way he treats people, it’s just what we’re about.”
After that tragedy, Levshunov jumped over North America, spending one year with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL before enrolling at Michigan State last fall as his English fluency improved.
He tallied 35 points in 38 games, leading all Spartan defensemen by a mile and trailing the overall team scoring lead by just one point.
Because of his well-traveled path up to this point, the Hawks actually consider the 6-2, 209-pound defenseman to be “behind the curve” — in a good way — compared to other 18-year-old prospects. Once he gets more stability, coaching and resources for his summer training, they think he’ll reach another level.
“He’s got long arms and long legs,” Doneghey said. “It’s just [that] he hasn’t trained in North America. In August, he goes to Michigan State, so he didn’t even have a college training session like most kids do. I just think his ceiling is high-end.”
