Prospect Info: 2024 2nd Overall - Artyom Levshunov

[Chelios]

Imagine losing out on Kane lol, but buddy try again he’s wiping the floor with Kucherov’s stats at his age in the KHL, so ceiling can possibly be 144 point season plus if that continues. That’s the craziness of passing on him. We have such a smart GM, we should all feel warm and fuzzy inside, so smart and amazing, the one before him was even smarter, we are so lucky.

It wasn't only our GM that passed on him. In fact, our GM tried to move back up and select him but Columbus decided against the deal... to select another player not named Demidov.

Demidov may be great. Maybe we should have taken him. The reality is we won't know that for a while yet and there is no sense dwelling on that at this stage.

As far as Lev goes, his first few games in the AHL, which I watched, were impressive and certainly did nothing to have me questioning why he was selected when he was.

 

[MHO]

Imagine losing out on Kane lol, but buddy try again he’s wiping the floor with Kucherov’s stats at his age in the KHL, so ceiling can possibly be 144 point season plus if that continues. That’s the craziness of passing on him. We have such a smart GM, we should all feel warm and fuzzy inside, so smart and amazing, the one before him was even smarter, we are so lucky.

The pick was made before we had the data of his performance so far this year and a lot has to happen before we can determine who becomes the better player. Is KD any good at his job? Who knows as there hasn't been enough time to evaluate him. I'll say that I like what he's done so far but if all of his picks end up being garbage, then I'd say no.

Also feel free to disagree with me without acting like a condescending bag using a strawman argument.

 

[Crow]

If we would have taken Demidov some posters would inevitably find some reason to bitch and moan as well.

 

[ColbyChaos]

We all know Blackhawks would be crying horny tears into his Stan Bowman doll about trading our first this year if we were able to get Demidov and Lev this past draft

 

[u2wojo]

I'll admit I don't know much about the upcoming draft as some others do but it looks like the Hawks will be picking near the top again and there will be plenty of forwards that project like Demidov but I don't think there's any defensemen with the potential of Levshunov this year.

'24 draft certainly seemed much deeper on D and Levshunov was by most account the best. Schaefer seems compareable to Levshunov as a potential #1D with a floor of probably still top pairing. But Schaefer is LHD and there is a drop off beyond him at D way more significant then this draft year had. Haegens and Ryabkin are 2 guys that are somewhat similar to Demidov. For me taking the RHD a year earlier when D take longer to develop and the '25 class being MUCH deeper at F AND with with several real good option of guys with some size at the top which will compliment our F prospects better than Demidov would have.

 

[WarriorofTime]

'24 draft certainly seemed much deeper on D and Levshunov was by most account the best. Schaefer seems compareable to Levshunov as a potential #1D with a floor of probably still top pairing. But Schaefer is LHD and there is a drop off beyond him at D way more significant then this draft year had. Haegens and Ryabkin are 2 guys that are somewhat similar to Demidov. For me taking the RHD a year earlier when D take longer to develop and the '25 class being MUCH deeper at F AND with with several real good option of guys with some size at the top which will compliment our F prospects better than Demidov would have.

Yes, the top RHD coming into the year was likely a kid named Logan Hensler who played for the USNTDP last year, and like Levshunov was an October (meaning technically Aged 18 season as a draft eligible) birthday playing for a Big Ten team in the NCAA.

Hensler has not been nearly as impressive as Levshunov was last year. Through 6 games with Wisconsin, Hensler has 1 point (assist), and is a -6 (tied for worst on the team). Some may recall that Levshunov last season ended the year with 35 points in 38 games, was (easily) a team best +27 on one of the better teams in the country (ended the year as Double Big Ten champs (regular season and tournament) #5 in the country, as a number 1 seed that fell in the Regional Finals) and was named Big Ten Defenseman of the Year.

It'll all shape out how it shapes out, and time will tell who is the best/2nd best player in the Draft, but I have often felt people are weirdly kind of low on Levshunov. Don't sleep on this kid. He's every bit a Number 2 NHL Draft pick.