Connor Bedard approached the microphone.
“With the second overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, the Chicago Blackhawks are proud to select Artyom Levshunov.”
The Chicago Blackhawks had made their decision and locked in on the budding franchise defenseman with a right-handed shot who had barely scratched the surface of his abilities despite his already demonstrated skill.
Levshunov, born in Belarus, followed an unorthodox and accelerated path to the top. Whereas most other elite defensive prospects have been molded in clear-cut systems with consistent coaching their entire lives, Levshunov was not afforded the same opportunity. Just three years ago, he was playing in Belarus’ junior hockey system, one that often doesn’t send players to higher-level competition.
But the cream always rises to the top: Levshunov led all Vysshaya League defensemen as an underager with 63 points in 46 games. Levshunov’s skill led to recruiting from hockey agent Dan Milstein, who brought Levshunov over to the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers for the 2022-2023 season, where he again found immediate success, finishing fifth in points among USHL defensemen. In his first season of North American hockey, Levshunov dominated against players who had better training, resources, and experience, scoring the most points by a U-18 defenseman in league history.
After Levshunov’s incredible year, he was recruited by Adam Nightingale to play at Michigan State, and the rest was history. His stellar all-around game and performance at the NCAA level paved his way to the NHL as one of the most electric defensive prospects in years. While Levshunov still has a lot to learn, his offensive touch, physical ability, and understanding of the defensive game should make him a premiere defenseman for years to come.
When thinking about Levshunov, the most important thing to notice are his physical tools. As a 6-foot-2, 208-pounder who’s still just 18 years old, Levshunov has an incredible amount of muscle and physical maturity for someone so young. Pound for pound, he outclasses most everyone else in the 2024 draft class. Described by all of his coaches as a gym rat, Levshunov himself has said “I like to be in the gym, because hockey is a tough sport and I gotta stay strong on the ice. I love to be in the gym.” He has an incredibly steady base on the ice and is hard to knock around because he’s able to stay grounded more than most of his peers. This steadiness leads him to delivering punishing hits around the ice: he not only intimidates his opponents with his size and strength, but also wins puck battles around the boards and in front of the net. Levshunov’s physicality and strength is the foundation of his entire game, and it’s a sentiment echoed by coaches and scouts across the league.
Central Scouting lauds Levshunov and describes him as, “A smooth-skating defenseman with high-end puck skills. He uses his size, strength and reach to effectively defend in the defensive zone.”
Assistant MSU coach Mike Towns is also impressed with how well Levshunov is able to use his size. When interviewed by the Athletic regarding Levshunov, he joked, “You mean he’s jacked?” when asked about his physicality. He continues, “He sort of has this force field around him where when guys bump into him they fall down.”
Will Morlock, Head of Athletic Performance for MSU hockey also had nothing but praise to share over Levshunov. “He’s… uncommon… I’ve trained a lot of high-end NHL ‘D’ and he can do it all. Everything we do in the gym he excels at. What’s even more impressive is that … he’s strong, he’s powerful, he’s fast, all these things you objectively want him to be…”
Levshunov’s ability to dominate physically drives the rest of his game. In all three zones, his ability to control the puck, protect teammates, and force open shooting lanes with his body sets him up for immediate success at the next level. While there will obviously be some growing pains as Levshunov learns to utilize his frame against professionals versus college competition, he’s arguably the most pro-ready player in the entire class, excluding Macklin Celebrini. Most other youngsters have to spend time and effort to bulk up, but Levshunov can exclusively focus on building out his game, rather than his physical frame. There’s also no reason to think that he can’t become even bigger and stronger as he reaches maturity in his mid-20’s. In the 2024 draft, there is no defenseman with a more complete toolkit, and higher upside.
His toolkit extends outside of just size – Levshunov is an impeccable skater. He has sublime maneuverability across the ice and excellent speed, especially for a player of his size. While Levshunov may not be as agile as a player like Zeev Buium, he excels when it comes to power strides and speed due to his long, extended skating motion and emphasis on deep, hip-driven movements across the ice. At Michigan State, Levshunov consistently played with a step on most other players, including other forwards. He has the ability to dominate all three zones of the ice because of his explosive step, his mobility in close and in transition, and his deception. In fact, one of the most compelling parts about Levshunov’s skating is his ability to manipulate defenders by pulling far to the side and getting a quick step off of a leaning position that can let him quickly pull inside.
Even though Levshunov is a big body, his edgework is excellent. Edgework is more than simply digging skates into the ice and extending your hips appropriately, but those give Levshunov an explosive edge, and a wicked fast one-two step. This initial speed allows him to easily catch up with most opponents and assert himself in the middle of plays, no matter which end of the ice he’s on.
Below is a simple but yet effective example of Levshunov’s speed on display. As the puck is broken out and taken up by teammate Reed Lebster (No. 23), Levshunov starts out a few steps behind all three Notre Dame players near him. But Levshunov’s long strides and power allow him to speed down the ice and generate an offensive opportunity by entering the zone as the F2. He creates space and opportunities because he’s so effective at utilizing his speed, be it in a straight line, or in more agility-based situations.
Arguably, Levshunov’s biggest strength comes in his transitional game. For those without a higher understanding of hockey concepts, the transitional game is just like it sounds, how the player performs in transition between offense and defense. Can they successfully change their pace from pushing the puck offensively to being defensively responsible and vice versa? The answer for Levshunov is a resounding “yes.” While consistency needs to improve, there is not a single defensemen in this draft — and arguably the last 5 drafts — who has his ability to attack offensively and immediately pull back to address breakouts the other way. Using his high-end speed, physical ability, and four-way mobility, Levshunov can find success against just about anyone in the transition game.
David St-Louis, Lead Scout from Elite Prospects echoes a similar sentiment: “Levshunov’s game shines, first and foremost, in transition… his heavier build has no effect on his mobility. He surprises opponents with his acceleration jumping in and closing gaps before they have time to react.”
For example, take this play below against Michigan in the NCAA Regional Final. Off the draw, Levshunov skates up to the blue line in a traditional defensive assignment, but the second that the Nash Nienhuis (No. 4) throws the puck into the offensive zone, Levshunov takes off and is immediately able to gain control down low and pass the puck back up to help set up a wide open shooting lane. On Michigan’s first gain of possession within their own zone, Levshunov immediately uses his long stride to take off and get ahead of the play. He attacks with speed and, had possession been sustained, he put himself in the right position to stop the play. As MSU breaks up the play, Levshunov tips the puck away from the Michigan players in the zone and then immediately takes off, setting himself right in the middle of the passing lane. His long reach enables him to break up the pass from now-teammate Frank Nazar, re-gain possession, and then utilize vision to find teammate Daniel Russell for a breakout back to the offensive zone.
Levshunov does everything right in this play to demonstrate his ability to succeed in the transition. He leverages both his vision and hands to slow down Michigan with a tip away from the majority of the players on Michigan’s attempted rush. He utilizes superb speed and body control to position himself in the middle of the best attacking lane to intercept a pass in an area that should be well in front of him. Finally, he controls the puck after breaking up the pass and is able to find his teammate for a rush the opposite way.
It’s not just in this game either. Levshunov’s size, breakout speed, and ability to dig in with his edges allow him to make tight turns on the ice in order to consistently be in the right spot. It’s not reserved exclusively going from offense to defense either; Levshunov is also able to move from defense to offense with just as much success. There’s no reason to believe he won’t be a premiere transitional player in the NHL.
Levshunov’s appeal isn’t exclusively a physical toolkit – he has a deceptively powerful shot, and world-class puck distribution ability based around high IQ offensive reads.
When shooting the puck, Levshunov sets himself apart from the rest of the defensive class by having the best combination of power and touch. While he’s not going to be scoring crazy backhanded, off-angled goals like Demidov, his hands and technique are still impressive, and he’s generally able to pick his shot placement well. Levshunov, though, has a weird shot. Whether it’s a slapshot, a wrister, or a snapshot, there really isn’t any follow through because it’s rare that Levshunov uses all of his strength. He pulls the puck back, often times not directly against his body, and then without warning just releases it. There’s rarely a telegraph, which is an an incredible asset — especially for a defenseman. Levshunov is extremely gifted at getting shots off where there isn’t initially perceived opportunity because of his ability to generate high amounts of torque with a small area to work with.
There wasn’t a more clear example last season than the goal below. Levshunov pulls the puck wide after he enters the zone in order to avoid the poke check coming from the Notre Dame defender. Despite there being an extremely limited amount of space, despite being rooted on only one foot, and despite being at a horrible angle, the puck goes in the net. The placement is perfect, partly because Levshunov sells the goalie into believing he’s taking a lower, on ice-shot. Had the goalie not dropped into the RVH position, the puck wouldn’t have gone into the net. His shot is incredibly hard to read because there just aren’t many shooters like him. He almost approaches a shot in a lazy fashion, but his ability to sell a read and generate power makes him a constant threat anywhere in the offensive zone.
Levshunov’s puck distribution and vision are also incredible strengths of his game. While he’s not threading the needle with pinpoint passes, he is a premier player at moving the puck around. His game thrives in simplicity, but simplicity isn’t inherently a bad thing. Puck distribution is a bit different than playmaking – it relies less on finding open zones or reads for a highlight reel goal, but rather being able to keep the puck moving and the play going.
Even though Levshunov isn’t a Cale Makar with the puck, his ability to read the offensive play is part of the reason why he doesn’t have to be. Simplicity thrives with understanding and opportunity — Levshunov succeeds because he knows where the puck is going to be.
In the offensive zone and in the neutral zone, Levshunov is consistently scanning the ice to find appropriate reads and set himself up in poorly defended areas. Because he’s often in the right place at the right time, he’s able to make easy passes which translate into goals. He’s constantly moving on the offense and in doing so he’s able to use his breakaway speed to get to loose pucks first, set himself up for teammates, or help his teammates create space.
Below is a great example of this from the same game against Michigan as above. There’s no goal, no immediate chances, and no highlight, but everything that Levshunov does is done in the right way. As per usual in the MSU offense, Levshunov enters the zone as the F3 and immediately puts himself in front of the net in an open shooting lane and as an option if his team can gain control. When the team gains possession, Levshunov rotates up as a transitional defenseman and sits on the blue to help create space and recover pucks if they’re pushed away. A puck comes loose and, because Levshunov is owns an empty zone of the ice and covers ground easily with his skating, he comes away with the puck and rings it off the boards in an attempt to hold possession. As Michigan pushes the puck down again, Levshunov creeps up into open space in the middle, again creating another opportunity for his team to generate a shot with a wide open shooting lane, had the pass not been intercepted.
That’s distribution, ability and vision. Levshunov isn’t just looking for plays to add to his highlight reel: he’s constantly finding the best read and is actively engaged both on the blue line as a traditional defenseman and up front in a more forward-oriented role. His quick activations allow him to arrive at loose pucks faster than almost anyone else and he extend plays that normally would have been broken up. It’s an incredibly valuable skill to have in the NHL and it will bring Levshunov nothing but success as he plays with faster and dynamic players like Bedard and Nazar.
Levshunov’s offensive skills are undoubtedly high-end, but his defensive ones are arguably even better, particularly when playing man coverage. His defensive game is largely based around his aforementioned physicality. Levshunov uses his size to control the boards where he uses his reach to his advantage in breaking up plays and possession. He excels in these man battles, often overpowering his opponents and immediately pushing the puck to another teammate, or corralling pucks pushed loose and leading the rush the other way. In this class, there’s no one better on the boards or in one on one coverage. Analysts from The Hockey News agreed: “On the defensive side of the puck, he [Levshunov] looks to punish opponents with booming hits, crushing players in open ice or along the boards.”
There’s no questioning that statement. While Levshunov needs to be assertive in the defensive zone, his style of play can wear down opponents if they should have to engage with him. His mobility on his skates enables him to cover his assignment without much concern, and because of his smooth transition ability, he can quickly switch coverage as the play moves in the other direction. Levshunov’s man abilities really shine when it comes to delivering hits. He doesn’t shy away from contact or being aggressive in puck battles, and this enables him to own almost every part of the defensive zone. He uses his body to disrupt his opponents, and set up elite board and net-front presence that most NCAA players can’t contend with.
Levshunov’s reach, along with his speed and strength, often prevent opponents from gathering rebounds or collecting lost pucks around him. His physical presence allows him to control both the net and the point and help clear open lanes for his goalies to face shooters one-on-one without threat of a rebound or a cross-crease pass.
Hadi Kalakeche from Dobber’s Prospects offered a resounding confirmation of these abilities, describing Levshunov as, “A short neutral-zone gap, a natural tendency to shepherd opponents to the boards, and high-end defensive-zone aggression helped his team suppress dangerous shots.” Physicality is a key component of Levshunov’s game, but it’s just one part of the reason why he’s a success. There are few defensemen who can hit as hard and heavy as Levshunov can while also being as nimble and quick across the ice.
To highlight how impactful but underrated this ability can be, the above attached clip is a blink-and-you-may-miss example. Ferris State gets puck control in the D-zone and Levshunov uses his quick one-two step to get back in line with the play. He then identifies that there’s limited ability to cut to the inside, and follows the puck to the outside, switching coverages with his partner. Here’s where the brilliance is highlighted: the position of the Ferris State outside attacker means there’s only one option that can be taken when a player like Levshunov is approaching to deliver a hit, which is getting rid of the puck. If he dumps it behind him or tries to carry it himself, possession loss is all but guaranteed, so the only accessible play is to pass it to his teammate who’s moving inside to the slot. Yet, by switching coverage assignments with his partner, Levshunov is setting up the play to put two defensemen in the passing lane between Ferris State attackers, making a pass incredibly difficult. For good measure, Levshunov delivers a hit along the boards, forcing the Ferris State forward attacking through the slot to react near the net, even if the puck had gotten through. There’s no doubt that Levshunov’s floor is incredibly high, with an even higher ceiling.
The analytics don’t lie either. Levshunov was stellar across the board with the Spartans.
The infographic below from Mitch Brown of Elite Prospects is based on his time tracking Levshunov at 5-on-5, arguably the most important situation for a potential franchise defender. Across the board, Levshunov exhibited excellent tendencies. Because he moved the puck so well and played a forward role off the rush in the offense, his numbers are stellar in terms of raw production. He’s was an asset to Michigan State in terms of both putting pucks on net and generating chances. The only real knock in his profile is the slightly below-par success rate on slot-pass entires, which is largely due to Levshunov’s volume approach.
Offensive involvement as a whole, as well as Levshunov’s transition game, are the true stars of the show. In college, there were few weaknesses across the board, and Levshunov’s success in transition directly led to the generation of a lot of his offensive prowess. In the Space Creation category, it’s clear that Levshunov’s positioning and ability to take advantage of open lanes directly leads to the team’s success. By creating gaps pushing passes all across the ice, and utilizing his transition skills, Levshunov’s comprehensive analytical profile was easiest the best of the entire class.
It’s not just the stellar statistics that should offer Blackhawk’s fans encouragement. Based on NHLe, or NHL Equivalency, Levshunov’s projection is also extremely high. NHLe gauges how a player has produced relative to their age and position compared to other players who have historically succeeded in the league. Based on historical trends, Levshunov has a greater than 75 percent chance of becoming a great defenseman for the franchise, and a higher-than-average likelihood of developing into a true stud franchise defenseman. Better yet, NHLe doesn’t take into account how much more Levshunov has to grow, and that’s part of what makes everything about him so exciting. As Sebastian High from Dobber Prospect said: “His development is just pointed straight upwards… he’s a great mover, great skater… and has value in all three zones.”
Despite Levshunov’s incredible profile, he’s far from a perfect prospect. While all prospects have questions in their game, Levshunov has a few that have scouts debating whether he’ll be a top-pairing defenseman, or just a top-four blue-liner. His defensive IQ and decision-making aren’t fully developed, his zone defense has some glaring holes, he lacks aggression in the defensive zone, and he’s borderline uncreative in his offensive game. More than anything else, Levshunov lacks consistency.
While seemingly pessimistic off the bat, a big part of understanding Levshunov as a prospect involves reflecting on the fact that he’s played just two seasons of hockey on North American ice. Most of his contemporaries have been playing in better programs, which puts Levshunov behind the curve when it comes to experience and refinement.
There’s no doubt that Levshunov is loaded with talent, but a lot of his upside comes with his runway. He’s already an incredible prospect who shows flashes of brilliance. The Blackhawks are taking a gamble that he can continue to improve, develop consistency, and show new skills and hockey abilities, like the aforementioned weaknesses, with more professional coaching and exposure to high level hockey.
The Elite Prospects Team summed this up best: “Catch Artyom Levshunov on the right night, and you could just as easily be convinced he’s the best defensive prospect to enter the draft in the last half-decade… and sometimes, Levshunov could just outright frustrate you to no end. Far from looking like a top-ten pick, he was wholly unremarkable in many of our viewings.”
There’s a good deal of work to be done when projecting Levshunov to the NHL, but size, skating, and runway give him a compelling profile that should hopefully help him to live up to his potential in the NHL. Nonetheless, weaknesses still need to be addressed, but contextualized as areas with room for improvement.
For a second overall pick, Levshunov’s offense is remarkably simple and may not translate well to the NHL. Although his statistics lit up the NCAA with a phenomenal 35 points in 38 games, the point production may not transfer to the next level because they were generated in unsustainable ways. One of the biggest elephants in the room when it came to Levshunov’s season at MSU was how often he played as a forward off the rush and in the offensive cycle. This unorthodox approach took focus off the defensive side of the puck, often leaving him out of position. He struggled to keep the puck in the offensive zone when asked to be more engaged, and failed to shut down breakouts. This style of play will not fly in the NHL, so many of the chances and points he generated off of the rush won’t necessarily translate as he has to play higher on the blue-line and not lead the breakout.
Outside of his approach to the offense, Levshunov struggled to be a difference-maker in other scenarios as well. Over 60 percent of his assists were secondary, and he was overly reliant on his physical ability to make space against weaker competition compared to his skill and ability to manipulate lanes and defenders. Levshunov doesn’t have the highest hockey IQ and he often can miss reads or not properly understand how to react to a change in play. He can also struggle when a simplistic pass doesn’t get the job done. That probably explains why he led the Spartans in turnovers both in the offensive and defensive zones because of his over-reliance on teammates and simplistic reads, rather than challenging opponents with abilities that are more dynamic. When Levshunov sits high on the blue line as a typical defender does, he often doesn’t contribute much that will translate to the next level of hockey.
Referenced above is a clear example of an assist that Levshunov has when playing next to Larson. Levshunov gets the puck at the top of the blue line and the defense is broken out in a 1-2-1 formation. Levshunov does the right thing and looks for options. As the defender approaches up the middle he passes to Larson and then pushes down slightly while still controlling the top of the zone. The issue comes in what happens next. Larson gets immediately pressured and throws the puck back to Levshunov.
Levshunov looks at only one option – the net, sees that the lane is too contested to shoot, and instead of scanning across the ice to a teammate who has much more open skating and shooting lane, he throws the puck right back to Larson to take a shot. It’s lucky, the puck pushes through a lot of traffic and makes it to the back of the net, but it’s incredibly simple playmaking that is the concern here. There’s no look off of the initial read and, when worried about pressure, Levshunov’s first move is to immediately dump the puck back to his teammate who just tried to move the puck from a pressured spot. He needs to improve his decision making in order to be a stronger offensive asset in the NHL.
Often, it’s not Levshunov doing something obviously wrong, it’s just doing things that won’t necessarily translate to the NHL. Levshunov’s offense is the pinnacle of simplicity: he relies on wide open lanes to pass, simple openings in coverage, risky plays that can often lead to turnovers, or just throws pucks near the net and relies on his teammates to do most everything else.
We can see an example of a few of those tendencies here, in a video highlighted by Recrutes. In the first play, Levshunov starts out by being unassertive on the puck, but as the play begins to materialize the other way, Levshunov uses his speed to come into the zone as a forward up the right.
He receives the pass and immediately releases it to the middle for Russell to shoot, despite a high chance of the puck being intercepted due to the OSU defender’s body and stick. Instead of cutting to the inside to act as rebound support, despite reading puck placement, Levshunov is again passive and peels to the outside away from the play. There’s a rebound off the front of the net which Dorwart scores on, but it’s again an extremely simple passing play. As soon as Levshunov receives the pass, he gets rid of the puck, which is often common for him. He was in the right place at the right time playing up as a forward, but it’s not an opportunity he’s going to see playing as a traditional defenseman. Levshunov’s highlights are typically just plays anyone can make because his offense is basic. There is a clear limit in the playmaking IQ he demonstrates at the current time.
In the second clip against Boston College, Levshunov abandons his position on the offensive blue line to again play up as a forward off of the faceoff. He leaves a gigantic hole on the right side of the ice and then simply skates around to an empty net and puts the puck into the net. The production is there, but as he is limited in playing as a forward and forced to be more responsible defensively, neither of these kinds of points will happen in the NHL.
Levshunov is limited in terms of his current ability to extend plays because he isn’t a creative player. Simon St-Laurent, Scout for Toutsurlehockey has echoed a similar sentiment: “In the offensive zone he is not the kind of player to skate on the blue line with the puck, and he’s not the most comfortable or creative with it, but he’s able to distribute the puck all the same.” There lies Levshunov’s game. Simplicity.
Often called a PP1 defenseman, there are concerns that Levshunov doesn’t have the breakout consistency or playmaking currently to translate to the NHL effectively without taking a big step forward. This offensive struggle is compounded when he’s asked to play against structure or break the puck out with passing versus driving the breakout rush as a forward with possession. Levshunov fires reckless passes at his opponent’s shins, and repeats that even after failing to move the puck out, seen multiple times in the series against Michigan this year. His lack of touch, success versus pressure, and accuracy all hold him back. It’s not a deal-breaker that his offense is more simplistic — it just limits some of his upside.
Defensively there are less concerns, but Levshunov’s understanding of appropriate zone positioning, aggressiveness, and zone defense need work.
While a monster on pure man coverage against the boards, Levshunov has a ton of work to do when it comes to learning zone coverage, gap control, and defensive decision making. He often goes swimming positionally, is susceptible to missed reads due to his focus on offense, and is frequently lazy. In more dynamic offensive rushes, he’s consistently walked by smaller skilled forwards, like No. 1 overall pick Macklin Celebrini — or like Nazar, a former in-state rival. Unless he’s on top of his opponents on the boards, he can be a liability at times. And even on the boards, Leshunov’s inconsistent compete level can prevent him from delivering a needed hit, leading to another defensive gaffe.
Whether it’s breaking the puck out, gaining control, etc. Levshunov relies on his size and skating far more than skill and reading where the puck will be, which can cause concern in translation to the NHL. Levshunov can often make the wrong reads or the right read at the wrong time. He’ll attempt passes to the wrong areas of the ice, try to be physical on the breakout against heavy structure, or read the play wrong and end up on the wrong side of the ice. Levshunov can often also get lost in zone coverage due to misreading his assignments. He consistently double-covered single assignments that Nienhuis was on, leaving his zones wide open.
In totality, there is a fundamental lack of structure in his game. There are consistent issues where Levshunov either overextends himself or takes himself out of the play entirely, but never really re-enters the fray. This is part of the question with consistency. While at times Levshunov can play at an elite level, other times he can just get completely lost. Below is a great example of some of his poor habits and lack of aggression where it’s needed.
As Levshunov battles Eernisse during an attempted controlled zone entry, he successfully breaks up the attempt, but loses his stick in the process. The puck rings around to the opposite end of the goal line but when Nienhuis pushes the puck back to Levshunov, everything falls apart.
While Levshunov is resetting himself, be puts almost no effort in establishing a physical presence around the puck. He lazily skates without the puck, and makes no attempt to turn his body to prevent T.J. Hughes from not only hitting him, but establishing Michigan possession. As the play continues, there’s just more inconsistency. Levshunov is consistently no-where near the puck, but often playing so close on the man he gives up wide open lanes. Near the end of the clip, Levshunov loses sight of his assignment zone as a whole and instead of defending the point, pushes too far down. Not only does Hughes get a shot off at net, uncontested, but Levshunov is literally behind the net and completely taken himself out of the play. There’s just clear room for improvement, and while it could come with more consistency, both effort and zone positioning need specific focus.
When it comes to assertiveness, consistency is again the question. Levshunov can deliver hits, step up in coverage, and use his stick effectively. In spite of that, his game is cool and calm, often lazily floating around outside of structure, or being relatively stationary. Despite Levshunov’s speed and ability, he does not have a high motor, meaning there’s often less effort put into defense than you may like, causing concern when it comes to effectiveness at higher levels of hockey, especially as it created some issues in the NCAA already. David Saad from Dobber relayed similar concerns: “Levshunov is still adjusting to the NA game, and while it [his defensive game] has improved, the unrefined defensive game and some poor habits still plague viewings.” Finding consistency and developing his lagging traits is again going to be critical to his development.
Below is another example of some of these inconsistencies when it comes to understanding aggression and playing the zone appropriately. Despite sitting back high, instead of sticking with necessary zone coverage in an odd man rush, Levshunov instead tries to follow the puck with T.J. Hughes as he cuts toward the middle of the ice, despite Nienhuis already covering the middle. By trailing the specific attacker, Levshunov left a giant coverage gap in front of Dylan Duke. Levshunov again tries to follow a man, leaving the passing lane more wide open than it would have been if he kept his initial position. Duke gets off a pass to Edwards who has no trouble finding the net with a wide open shooting lane.
These issues can be especially concerning because, as mentioned, Levshunov does not play within structure. He doesn’t sit within an established role because of his tendency to move up, but he’s often not defensively dynamic enough to correct his positioning and gap control when he’s asked to take on more responsibility on his own. The Blackhawks will need to structure their defense around this weakness — Richardson’s systems currently are very loose and flexible, but in order to get the best results out of Levshunov and build off of his strengths, the Blackhawks need to limit his exposure to more on the fly situations and reads. Levshunov is still a project as a defenseman, and his zone defense can still at times be a mess. There’s work to be done to develop these skills, or at least plan around the lack thereof in his development plan.
Even though there are improvement to be made, the Blackhawks are setting up Levshunov for success. Blackhawks fans need to remember that Levshunov has only played two seasons of North American hockey. There’s a lot of the game that he hasn’t been exposed to, nor has he had even so much as a full offseason with the same team. His quick transition from the USHL to the NCAA and now the AHL means that he isn’t getting the same level of reps or consistency that the majority of high-end prospects have already had. In college, especially as a freshman, there’s less emphasis on reviewing tape, and playing a pro-ready game, but rather developing physically. In fact, due to how Nightingale’s system has historically operated, it’s not clear as to whether Levshunov’s current offensive approach is innate, or simply the system he’s being asked to play in. His transition, offensively, could be far easier than expected.
The AHL will be a completely different track from the NCAA. Due to his pedigree he will be immediately thrust into a big-minute, high-impact role and given as much as he is able to take. On top of playing higher-level hockey, he will also receive better coaching and focus more on playing hockey, rather than the developing his physical profile. The AHL will play substantially more games, and in doing so will build good habits and chemistry with potential future defensive partners. Levshunov will work directly with video coach John Lehmann in order to break out consistent areas for improvement and find ways to re-shape his offensive game. Lehmann has also done an exceptional job helping prospects to develop NHL ready traits through high level communication with head coach Anders Sorensen. He specifically sends focus areas to the head coaching staff so that those deficiencies can be coached out of players during practices and systems creation, as evidenced by putting Alex Vlasic into a more puck-moving role despite the initial organizational reservations.
As hinted above, this approach has worked. Wyatt Kaiser, Alex Vlasic, and Ethan Del Mastro look to be long-term organizational pieces, and they’ve all been developed in Rockford. Not only will Levshunov will get the same resources and training, but his toolkit and pedigree mean that he’s starting far ahead of everyone else. There’s no reason to think that his game will not drastically improve, in line with his peers, with another year or two playing big minutes in the AHL.
It’s also prudent to remember that defensemen have a much longer development curve than forwards. Part of the reason that defensemen aren’t consistently drafted high is because they don’t have as many skills at 18 compared to the highlight-reel centers and wings. This lends itself to more uncertainty regarding defensive projection, but also a much greater amount of room to grow. Levshunov has all the tools to fix his flaws, and the drive and work ethic to follow through. Star defensemen can take time to become NHL ready, and that’s not inherently a flaw. Makar, Hughes, Fox, Josi, and virtually all of the other best defensemen in the NHL today took a season or two to get their bearings and develop more skills from their draft year. Levshunov will do the same.
Levshunov’s NHL projection is still wide open, but there’s good reason to believe he can be a big-minute-eating, top-pairing defenseman. While Levshunov may never reach the heights of a surefire number one defenseman, there’s still a lot to like. Even if the most likely outcome is as a solid number two, there’s little doubt that he will play a high-impact role, especially at 5-on-5. Again, Levshunov’s biggest flaw is consistency. He has flashed the ability to play dynamically on offense. He flashed elite decision making and higher level hockey IQ. He flashed elite knowledge of defensive positioning and lane control. Now is simply going to be the time for him to put everything together. The last time the Blackhawks took a defenseman from Michigan State, he turned into the best defenseman in the entire league.
Who’s to say that Levshunov can’t do the same?
If you’re interested in watching more specific tape analysis, @RinksideGeneral on Twitter offers an excellent thread, drilling deeper into Levshunov’s strengths and weaknesses.