Artyom Levshunov Officially Has Formal Interview and Dinner with Blackhawks originally appeared in NBC Sports Chicago
Presented by National Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich
BUFFALO, NY – The Chicago Blackhawks officially reunited with defenseman Artyom Levshunov at the NHL Scouting Combine this week in Buffalo as they gathered their final intel ahead of the 2024 NHL Draft.
The Blackhawks hold the second overall pick, and the 18-year-old Belarusian defenseman is certainly part of the discussion.
In addition to the 20-minute face-to-face interview, Levshunov said Friday that he had dinner with the Chicago team on Thursday night. He also spoke to the team several times throughout the season.
“I talked to them many times,” Levshunov said. “We went to dinner with them last night and it was a good conversation with them. It was good to meet them. We’ll see. You never know.”
On Friday afternoon, Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson said the team remains undecided on who to face with the second overall selection.
The decision is expected to come down to Levshunov and offensively talented forward Ivan Demidov, who is not at the combine but is scheduled to meet with the Blackhawks ahead of the draft in Florida, where some of the top Russian prospects will gather for a mini showcase.
“I would say the debate is still very real,” Davidson said. “I thought we would have a little, maybe, a decision at this point, which is not a bad thing, but I think there are some really good options out there.
“It’s something we’re discussing, we’ll take a short break after the combine and we’ll revisit it in 7-10 days and start going over things again. [the draft]So no, we’re still sorting things out.”
It would be difficult for the Blackhawks to pass up Levshunov, who is a 6-foot-2, 200-pound right-handed defenseman. He can play in all situations and projects to be a minutes-consuming player, which every Stanley Cup contender needs.
Levshunov was one of the youngest players in college hockey last season and scored nine goals and 26 assists for 35 points in 38 games during his freshman campaign at Michigan State. He was excellent.
“I’m actually a pretty simple player,” Levshunov said. “I just try to play hockey and do my job. I try to play fast on the ice, I try to play smart and I try to help the team win.”
Levshunov will participate in the physical testing portion on Saturday and then head to Florida with Macklin Celebrini and some of the other draft-eligible prospects for the Stanley Cup Final before focus shifts to the NHL Draft on June 28-29 . in Las Vegas.
