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.

 

[Blackhawks]

All the people saying it wasn’t only our GM, again I will say I don’t care what 2 other GMs of two bottom feeders do, this is the Chicago Blackhawks, we need to be competing for cups every year, I am not comparing us to some bums. I am trying to tell you guys Davidson is a moron and he needs to go now before we waste anoth r 4 years. Also to the ones saying we have to wait to find out, no we don’t it’s clear cut right now we got pucked hard and this pick will haunt this team for MANY years just like the Panarin trade and Seth Jones garbage but to the next monumental haunt kinda level. We didn’t even draft on need, this team has enough D, our offense is absolute garbage, there are no excuses, this was once in a life time opportunity to put two crazy guys together in Bedard and Demidov and this idiot blew it.

 

[CallMeShaft]

All the people saying it wasn’t only our GM, again I will say I don’t care what 2 other GMs of two bottom feeders do, this is the Chicago Blackhawks, we need to be competing for cups every year, I am not comparing us to some bums. I am trying to tell you guys Davidson is a moron and he needs to go now before we waste anoth r 4 years. Also to the ones saying we have to wait to find out, no we don’t it’s clear cut right now we got pucked hard and this pick will haunt this team for MANY years just like the Panarin trade and Seth Jones garbage but to the next monumental haunt kinda level. We didn’t even draft on need, this team has enough D, our offense is absolute garbage, there are no excuses, this was once in a life time opportunity to put two crazy guys together in Bedard and Demidov and this idiot blew it.

So have you thought up some names of GMs you would prefer? Preferably one that would have picked Demidov with that 2nd overall pick?

Figured you've had a few days since I initially asked, so at this point you must've come up with a couple guys you'd like in that role who would take the actions you find appropriate for the team.

 

[statswatcher]

this is the Chicago Blackhawks, we need to be competing for cups every year, I am not comparing us to some bums.

i'm starting to get an idea for why you are such a miserable f***.

Also to the ones saying we have to wait to find out, no we don’t it’s clear cut right now

no we do it's not clear cut right now. damn, it sure is easy to just negate what someone else said and pass it off as though it were profound.

what do you think would be the actual effect if all of us were as incredibly gifted as you? do you genuinely think that it would improve matters whatsoever if every fan of the same hockey team as you immediately recognized and vociferously criticized every poor decision on the part of the team? do you have some delusion that you are holding someone to account? like you're speaking truth to power, and if only the damn rabble would join their voices with yours they'd have no choice but to listen? or are you just looking for some small modicum of accomplishment to rest your oversized ego on and the only thing that you can look upon proudly is your knack for being an insufferable prick on an internet hockey forum? these are genuine questions. your psychology is almost as fascinating as fiddy's.

 

[SimpleJack]

The wrong kid was chosen.

I'm always gonna look at Artyom Levshunov like Dewey Cox's father looks at him.

By the way, we are playing Montreal in the 2nd to last game of the season. So we will get to see Demidov light up our team when he joins Montreal after his KHL stint

Well, truth be told....Dewey proved to be "the right kid" after all. He walked....HARD. His dad was just too foolish to see his talent. Kind of like some people are being rn with Levshunov.

 

[EbonyRaptor]

It's no secret I wanted Demidov but I have to accept that KD picked Levshunov instead. Hopefully Levshunov becomes the player KD and his scouting staff project him to be and then it won't matter as much whether or not Demidov turns out to be a star player. The fact that Demidov is playing so well as an 18 year old in the KHL when his idiot coach is screwing around with him and giving him virtually no power play time is even harder to take because Levshunov has played only 3 games since coming back from injury and hasn't looked particularly good in those games - and yes I watched all 3 of his games. Hopefully he is just adjusting to live action at a higher level and he'll settle in and make us all believe we will be happy with the pick.

 

[Mjul Qvist]

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

Can´t please everyone and that is clearly not GM´s job.