NEWSLETTER
With the second overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, the Chicago Blackhawks have selected right-handed defenseman Artyom Levshunov from Michigan State University.
Artyom Levshunov, RHD
6-2, 205
DOB: Oct. 28, 2005
Shoots: Right
2023-24 Team: Michigan State (NCAA — Big Ten)
Ranked #3 by CONSOLIDATED RANKING
Ranked #4 by ELITEPROSPECTS.COM
Ranked #3 by TSN/BOB McKENZIE
Ranked #8 by TSN/CRAIG BUTTON
Ranked #9 by THN/FERRARI
Ranked #7 by THN/KENNEDY
Ranked #6 by MCKEEN’S HOCKEY
Ranked #2 by FLOHOCKEY/CHRIS PETERS
Ranked #10 by FCHOCKEY
Ranked #3 by DAILY FACEOFF
Ranked #2 by NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING (NA Skaters)
Ranked #2 by HPR/MALLOY
Ranked #2 by DRAFT PROSPECTS HOCKEY
Ranked #2 by SPORTSNET/COSENTINO
Ranked #3 by SPORTSNET/BUKALA
Ranked #11 by RECRUIT SCOUTING
Ranked #6 by DOBBERPROSPECTS
Ranked #4 by SMAHT SCOUTING
From Steven Ellis (Daily Faceoff): “It feels like Levshunov is the consensus No. 1 defender right now. He’s just got everything scouts want in a high-end defender – size, mobility and puck-moving skills, just to name a few quality traits. He led the Spartans in scoring after putting up one of the most impressive Draft+1 seasons by a defenseman in recent USHL history. And he’s got an incredible personality, something teams do find valuable. I think the ceiling for Levshunov to become a team’s No. 1 defenseman is very high, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he made the decision to turn pro for 2024-25.“
From Corey Pronman (The Athletic): “Levshunov was the best defenseman in the Big Ten this season and a big part of Michigan State being a top team. He is extremely skilled and creative, both as a puck-handler and passer. He has the hands of a top offensive defenseman and looks very comfortable with the puck. He skates well and can play an up-tempo style in how he attacks with his skill. He has the offensive sense to potentially run a PP1 in the NHL and has a good point shot, too. His defensive play doesn’t stand out as much, particularly because he tries to attack so much, but he can make stops due to his athleticism and has physicality in his game. He is too aggressive at times, and plays like a forward too much for some scouts’ liking. He makes enough stops to ease most evaluators’ concerns given how much offense he brings. He has the potential to be an impact NHL defenseman who scores at a premium level.“
From Scott Wheeler (The Athletic): “The top D prospect in a stellar crop for me, Levshunov finished second on the Big Ten-champion Spartans in scoring (35 points in 38 games) and first in goal differential (plus-27) as a freshman defenseman and is going to become the highest-drafted player ever out of Belarus, besting Ruslan Salei (No. 9 in 1996) and Andrei Kostitsyn (No. 10 in 2003). He had a stellar rookie season in the USHL (and in North America!) last year, registering 43 points in 65 combined regular-season and playoff games with Green Bay to fast-track his way into college hockey, and has continued on his steep upward progression since. It’s not easy to play big minutes to excellent two-way results, or produce at a near point-per-game rate as a teenaged D in college hockey, let alone one with a language barrier in a new culture who just two seasons ago had only ever played in Belarus. While he’s on the older side of the first-year eligibles for 2024 because of his October 2005 birthday, I don’t think he’s on a track that’s far off the one Owen Power and his November birthday took.
Levshunov’s profile checks a lot of the boxes that teams are looking for in a high-end defenseman. He’s a righty with an extremely imposing and physically mature build already. He’s a smooth skater with plus-level four-way mobility (including a long, gazelle-like stride the length of the ice). Though he was a little green defensively when he arrived in the USHL, he has made fast progress and has really figured it out over the last two years (which included becoming a top penalty killer with the Gamblers after not starting there last year, and leading the Spartans in time on ice this year). His ceiling defensively is sky-high with the right development. That ceiling is led by a physical nature that regularly sees him bowl over opposing players (even on reverse hits) and outmuscle in 50/50 battles.
Offensively, he’s a heady passer and shot shaper but mostly impacts games offensively with how eager and loose he plays as a carrier and activator who confidently leads exits and entries and loves to hop off the line (including deep into the O-zone) and join the rush whenever he can with his skating. He also walks the line proficiently and can escape and control the puck against pressure, which allowed him to produce very high shot totals at MSU this year. And after beginning to take over games offensively and show a more dynamic element over the second half of last season in the USHL, he played with an abundance of confidence and identity in college hockey this season (even if that identity is a little haywire at times). He already possessed all of the tools he needed to become a stud, and he just keeps getting better and better. The decision-making is a little raw, but he’s very much still learning it in real time, and the raw tools are incredibly appealing. With continued fine-tuning, I believe there’s first-pairing upside there. I was very high on him coming into this season, and he still exceeded my expectations with his ability to impact play all over the ice and jump in and out of plays. The Spartans won his 22-23 minutes a game handily most nights. He’s a force.“
NHL.com: “The Blackhawks got their building block at forward at the 2023 NHL Draft with Calder Trophy-winner Connor Bedard, and this year shift the focus to building their defense with Levshunov. He has NHL-ready size, and has said he’ll wait until after the draft to decide if he wants to play another season of NCAA hockey or jump to the NHL. Either way, Levshunov projects to be a top-pair defenseman and be the lynchpin of a young group that saw Kevin Korchinski and Alex Vlasic make big strides last season, and 2022 first-round pick Sam Rinzel (No. 25) is close to being pro-ready.”
