Artyom Levshunov, selected second overall by Chicago in the 2024 draft, has shown promise despite a delayed start to his season due to a foot injury. In Rockford, he demonstrated his elite skating ability and puck-moving skills, which make him a dynamic presence on the blue line. Levshunov’s upside as a top-pairing defenseman is evident, and he has the potential to be a major contributor in Chicago’s defensive core. The Blackhawks called him up in March and showed no signs of an adjustment period. He logged heavy minutes and played on the top power play; he registered six assists in 18 games to finish the 2024-25 season with the Blackhawks.

Levshunov was selected 2nd overall by the Chicago Blackhawks.

Levshunov finished his NCAA campaign as one of the highest scoring draft eligible defensemen in history; not bad for a kid who was playing in Belarus 2 years ago! The growth he’s made is staggering and he’s defined himself as one of the more “toolsy” players of this years draft. His combination of size, speed and skill should see him go very early on draft day; but he’s not without his concerns. Levshunov is still adjusting to the NA game, and while it has improved, the unrefined defensive game and some poor habits still plague viewings. That said, it’s very reassuring that Levshunov has shown the effort and ability to improve as the season has gone on. He’s not likely to be ready out the gate, but given some time an NHL team should be able to carve him into a top 4 defenseman with relative ease. If his offensive game can adapt or translate to the NHL, he can be headlining his franchise’s d-core for years to come. (April Ranking: 7th)

Coming off of an amazing D-1 in Green Bay, Levshunov has taken the NCAA by storm. As a 17-year-old, Levshunov is currently tied for 5th among scoring for defensemen across the NCAA, and his current point-a-game clip is on pace to be something that has not been emulated since the early 1980s. Watching him, it’s not hard to see why. He’s a natural triple-threat, able to punish opposing defences with his great mobility, playmaking and shot. The former two being particular strengths in his game, Levshunov is simply fantastic on the puck. However, what’s made him so successful at the collegiate level has to be his athletic IQ. He’s very calculating in how he controls his body, always planning ahead so as to take not only the most effective but also the most efficient course of action. It’s a tough balancing act and at times leads to Levshunov being less engaged defensively or making a bone-headed decision, but it does wonders for his NHL translatability. It’s very hard not to foresee, at minimum, a top-4 NHL job in his future. (November Ranking: 10th)