When the Chicago Blackhawks won the second overall pick in the NHL Draft Lottery on May 7, the debate started about the consensus on two options: Artyom Levshunov (Defenseman, Michigan State University) or Ivan Demidov (Right wing, SKA St. Petersburg). There have already been numerous debates about who the Blackhawks should pick, and for many, the choice seems obvious: Demidov. In fact, when Ryan Taylor of NBC Sports Chicago published an article detailing what other outlets say they would pick, three out of four said Demidov.
However, I don’t think the draft pick is as black and white. In fact, I think there is a serious debate between a want and a need with both of the 18-year-old players, which could be key to this pick.
Artyom Levshunov Could Lead The Defense
Levshunov is someone who has been talked about all season as a possible pick behind Macklin Celebrini. He’s a big defenseman that every team craves. At 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, someone who can skate, is physical, and can score at a high level is a hard combination to find in defensemen. He had 35 points in 38 games with Michigan State this season, and was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year. He was described by his defense partner at Michigan State, Nash Nienhuis, “He’s a crazy talent. You can see his raw ability out there. He’s an unbelievable skater… He’s got a ton of offensive capability but defensively he’s also got a great stick and high hockey IQ. He’s got all the tools, and he’s a great kid.” (from ‘Meet Artyom Levshunov, the 2024 NHL Draft’s ‘incredible’ defense prospect from Belarus – The Athletic – 12/06/2023).
He is everything the Blackhawks have been targeting with big defensemen, hence why they recently drafted Kevin Korchinski and Sam Rinzel. Something else stood out to me: the need for right-handed defensemen on the Hawks. The question of drafting right-handed defensemen was asked to the Blackhawks director of amateur scouting, Mike Doneghey, last year, and he mentioned that they would love to have left-right defensemen all the way through but wasn’t sure how realistic that was. (from ‘Blackhawks’ Mike Doneghey on options after Connor Bedard, prospect pipeline, and more – The Athletic – 05/28/2023).
Related: Artyom Levshunov – 2024 NHL Draft Prospect Profile
With Levshunov, that would make it more realistic. Also, elite defensemen…
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