Blackhawks' Artyom Levshunov: Elite defender second pick at draft

Levshunov was the second overall pick by the Blackhawks in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Friday.

Levshunov has that rare package that makes NHL scouts spill bad arena coffee whenever they watch him play. He's a cornerstone, right-shot workhorse defender with size, skill and finesse, and a smarts/snarl combination that calmly controls the game every time he hops the boards. Levshunov's trajectory has exploded over the last couple seasons and he's expected to leave the NCAA and Michigan behind this summer as a one-and-done. We've heard Noah Dobson comps, and we won't disagree. The real question is whether he starts October in the NHL or the AHL, and whether his development path mirrors Dobson's three-season path to a plus-50 point season.