After the 2023-24 season, the Chicago Blackhawks were trying to rebound from another poor campaign. They had drafted Connor Bedard with the top pick the year prior — and he had won the Calder Trophy — but the Hawks’ puzzle still had many pieces to find.
The Hawks finished 23-53-6 and ranked in the bottom half of the league in many categories. The team scored 2.17 goals per game (last in the NHL) while allowing 3.52 a game (fourth-highest in the NHL).
They needed a presence to block shots and be a skater who ends opponents’ scoring chances. With the No. 2 pick in the 2024 draft, the Hawks selected their next young defenseman, Artyom Levshunov from Zhlobin, Belarus.
He made his NHL debut on March 10 of last season. In 18 games, he averaged 20 minutes and 19 seconds of ice time and had six assists. He showed some promise going into the centennial season, but the defenseman has struggled to start 2025-26.
He turned the puck over, whiffed one-timers and allowed opposing forwards to speed past him on breakaways. There were points in training camp where Levshunov seemed out of sorts, as well.
Coach Jeff Blashill made him a healthy scratch in the Hawks’ home opener versus the Montreal Canadiens. His name was announced during player introductions and he gave a straight-faced wave to the crowd.
Plenty of discussion came with the benching. Is Levshunov ready for the NHL? Should the Hawks have drafted Ivan Demidov instead? Despite the noise, Blashill made it clear that his defenseman is in the future plans for the team.
“The biggest thing for us is trying to look at his development path. Sometimes it’s OK to miss games (and) it’s OK in certain games to not get a lot of ice time,” Blashill said after the 3-2 loss to Montreal. “We feel the best place for him to be is with us right now. He’s going to play plenty of games and there are going to be some games where he doesn’t play, that’s just the reality.”
The defenseman hasn’t missed a game since, but he’s been a part of an interesting system under Blashill. The coach has been running an 11-forward, seven-defensemen rotation in the past few games and intends to continue the rotation.
Levshunov has been the seventh-dressed defenseman. He’s averaging 15 minutes and 20 seconds of ice time in six games with a plus-4 rating. The former Big Ten defenseman of the year and freshman of the year has adjusted well to this role, especially as the wins come.
“Every guy plays his minutes, maybe a little less minutes, but I think it’s good,” Levshunov said. “We’re winning the games (and) I think we’re doing good so far.”
He found taking a step back against Montreal useful to clear his head and work on his game. He wants to be more disciplined on the ice and be impactful in both zones.
“Playing with my confidence is 100% what I want for myself,” Levshunov said. “Just play my game and play the right way.”
Blashill has been satisfied with how Levshunov has skated in the lineup. It takes time to develop defensemen, so this is all a part of the process.
“He’s a really good athlete (and) has a good skill set, he just has to learn to apply that within the structure,” Blashill said. “When he’s not sure what to do, he freezes a little bit, so making sure that he feels confident in what he’s supposed to do and understanding that if he makes a mistake, it’s OK. This is new to all of them … I think overall he’s done a good job.”