Castle8130
Registered User
- May 9, 2017
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Levshunov will be the Hawks new Brent Seabrook caliber of player. If you are happy with that, then thats great.
I actually like the Seabrook comparison. Big and smooth skating righty defenseman but other than that mostly average. Not very dynamic, not very intense, rather soft for his size.Levshunov will be the Hawks new Brent Seabrook caliber of player. If you are happy with that, then thats great.
Nah, he's basically above average everywhere.
Not sure why he's developed such a negative reputation on HFBoards, but it seems pretty constrained to HFBoards.
The problem with Levshunov is that everything about him is average. Very smooth skating for a big guy but that's about the only thing that excites me. Jack Johnson was pretty tough in his prime. Levshunov isn't exactly soft but also not very tough and certainly not intense. I doubt he's gonna be a volume hitter or regular physical force in the NHL the way Yakemchuk or Silayev are gonna be...or the way Jack Johnson was. So what is Levshunov gonna be? Is he gonna drive play? No, not dynamic enough and he doesn't have the vision either. His decision making is more than questionable and very much a work in progress. His shot isn't bad but it's nothing compared to Yakemchuk's.
Levshunov is gonna play top4 in the NHL but I see nothing that would suggest he's gonna be anything more than that. In every area Levshunov is clearly outclassed by other defensemen available in the 2024 draft. Maybe in a different year I'd be more excited about the player but in this year he's just average. So is Dickinson but he seems to have more drive, better vision/hockey IQ, better hands as well. So if I want a more safe and solid prospect I go Dickinson over Levshunov. If I want a tough defenseman I go Yakemchuk or Silayev. If I want a player with elite offensive upside I go Yakemchuk, Parekh or Buium.
So as I said...I don't know what Levshunov is or wants to be. Certainly not a 2nd overall in my book. Levshunov is basically David Reinbacher just with significantly worse vision/hockey IQ, probably worse hands as well. And people were complaining about Reinbacher getting picked 5th. Levshunov would not enjoy his life facing the expectations after getting picked 2nd. You pick 2nd overall you want a franchise defenseman. Levshunov is a solid prospect but chances of him becoming a franchise defenseman in the NHL are trending towards zero.
Lev | on NA ice | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | League | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PPG | +/- | |
D-1 | USHL | Green Bay | 62 | 13 | 29 | 42 | 0.68 | -15 | |
D+0 | NCAA | Michigan State | 38 | 9 | 26 | 35 | 0.92 | 27 |
I actually like the Seabrook comparison. Big and smooth skating righty defenseman but other than that mostly average. Not very dynamic, not very intense, rather soft for his size.
The game is going away from blow up hits, anyway. They call things way too closely, and big hitters tend to get big injuries. The more important thing, especially for a premium offensive player like him, is if he has the size and strength to withstand physical contact, angle opposing players into the boards while defending the rush, and to lean on and move people away from the front of the net. more subtle than big hits, but more important. It looks like levshunov will have the size and strength to do those things when he comes up, but remains to be seem if he has the mindset.Not in the games I watched. I saw at least half a dozen MSU games and watched 4 "All Shifts" videos on Levshunov and my takeaway is that he doesn't play physical hardly at all. The few times he engages physically it's almost like it's a half measure "excuse me" hit. I recall only one time that he laid into a hit when he rubbed a player off on the boards. Can he learn to make a more concerted effort to hit guys? I suppose but it seems like it isn't natural for him - he doesn't have that Neanderthal Gene in him to ever become good at it.
Also, this idea that Jack Johnson is some disappointing pick if he was picked at 2OA isn’t really aligning with recent history.I disagree on what we should expect from top 10 d. Handifin and Myers were both picked there and shatty just after. All played in top 4 for most of a decade and top pair at various times. I would happily take any of their careers if I was picking outside top 5, maybe but higher. Werenski I would likely take at 2.
And I agree that lots of chances for these guys to end up much less, whether jack Johnson or Barrie or whatever. Which is why I think we need to take the win if you get hanifin or Myers or Shatty in top 10.
I don't think this is correct.Seabrook in his prime was a very good player. Would I take him 2nd overall? Definitely not. Seabrook wasn't the 2nd best player of his draft either.
Honestly, it's a gut call. I don't like the awkwardness I see, and he's physically mature, and strikes me as a mostly finished product. I don't see a "rawness" in his skills or anything that "wows" me that gives me a glimpse of him evolving into an elite NHL player.
I think teams are too quick to hitch their wagons to a safe, stocky, reliable defenseman with a high floor. And if he shoots right, even more of a lock.
As for the Werenski/Ekblad comps, they were "best case" for me. To be completely honest, I wouldn't be shocked if he ended up more like Ivan Provorov when it's all said and done.
Now, sure, let's say he's a blend of Werenski/Ekblad/Provorov and is a reliable D who scores around 50 points a year... that's a good piece to add. But, not at 2nd overall imo, when there's an offensive dynamo like Demidov sitting there... or some other defensemen with massive ceilings.
Passing on Demidov for him wouldn't be as bad as the Habs passing on Michkov for Reinbacher, but when you consider it's the 2nd overall pick, ouch. I just see nothing in his game that blows me away... and at the collegiate level, he should do some things that are simply jaw-dropping. He's just very "rock solid" to me.
Someone else mentioned "overrating Buium" and I can't disagree more. I watch that kid play and he wows me endlessly. His skating, hockey IQ, processor, playmaking, and polish are remarkable. And you can tell he is blessed with a toolkit that can help him grow a couple more levels in the NHL. He's the exact type of defenseman who is thriving in the NHL today, and teams need to generate offensive and possession from the back-end.
If I want to opt for a defensive juggernaut, I'd easily go Silayev or Dickenson over Lev. They project to be elite to high-end in that department. Levshunov is just rock solid and safe in every aspect without being exceptional in any way. Just my two cents.
He’s as strong though as those guys are. Height isn’t the only element to playing that way. Not like 6’2 is short either.Levshunov owns the ice in the NCAA in a similar way Chris Pronger owned the ice in the NHL. Simple, straight ahead game with a monster stride that covered a lot of ground. Brent Burns being somewhat similar.
Thing is, Pronger & Burns have 3-4 inches on Lev.
Lev plays a big dudes game but he's not really an ogre in terms of NHL size. The majority of the NCAA is right around 6.0 ft in average. Whereas, there's 10 teams in the NHL whose average height is right about 6'2", and the rest average at or above 6'1".
At the combine Lev measured 6 foot 1 3/4".
He's rather soft for a big guy though. I mean he does use his size to his advantage but he's not overly physical. Unlike Yakemchuk or Silayev I don't expect him to become a volume or big hitter in the NHL. If he's able to up his intensity or develop a bit of a mean streak that would add an exciting element to his game and make him a much more interesting prospect. Right now I don't see it though. I'm not sure if he enjoys the rough stuff.He’s as strong though as those guys are. Height isn’t the only element to playing that way. Not like 6’2 is short either.
The game is going away from blow up hits, anyway. They call things way too closely, and big hitters tend to get big injuries. The more important thing, especially for a premium offensive player like him, is if he has the size and strength to withstand physical contact, angle opposing players into the boards while defending the rush, and to lean on and move people away from the front of the net. more subtle than big hits, but more important. It looks like levshunov will have the size and strength to do those things when he comes up, but remains to be seem if he has the mindset.
Right now, because his talent level is so far above others that he is playing with, he tends to do want to just grab the puck and go, rather than engage physically. Parekh is even more that way inclined.
Levshunov owns the ice in the NCAA in a similar way Chris Pronger owned the ice in the NHL. Simple, straight ahead game with a monster stride that covered a lot of ground. Brent Burns being somewhat similar.
Thing is, Pronger & Burns have 3-4 inches on Lev.
Lev plays a big dudes game but he's not really an ogre in terms of NHL size. The majority of the NCAA is right around 6.0 ft in average. Whereas, there's 10 teams in the NHL whose average height is right about 6'2", and the rest average at or above 6'1".
At the combine Lev measured 6 foot 1 3/4".
His physical package may be fantastic but he doesn't play with an edge. Certainly nothing like Pronger.If Lev thought the game like Pronger then I'd consider taking him 1st OA.
His physical package is fantastic. He thick and has outstanding mobility, like Charlie McAvoy. There's nothing missing physically for Lev to "own the ice" in the NHL.
My entire critique of him is the processing.
His physical package may be fantastic but he doesn't play with an edge. Certainly nothing like Pronger.
With you talking about processing I have to mention Reinbacher again though. Montreal was getting a lot of heat for drafting Reinbacher 5th overall the reason being that you shouldn't draft a defenseman without elite skills this early just because he's more mature. It was said that Montreal went for a safe pick instead of drafting a player with elite skill and higher upside. I agree with all of those takes and I agree that when in doubt, those early picks should be spent on high end forwards. However, I think what people have missed it that Reinbacher is processing the game as fast and well as just about every other defenseman in this world. His play may not always look sexy, he may never quarterback a top PP in the NHL, he may never be a puck hog either but he's gonna be extremely effective and create a lot of offense, put up lots of points at even strength just because of him thinking the game so well. His vision is crazy, he's extremely good at finding open ice and teammates and he has the hands and mobility to pass the puck up ice quickly and accurately even from distance.
I mentioned it already but Levshunov for me is pretty much a carbon copy of David Reinbacher. They have almost identical bodies, both of them are excellent skaters for their size, both have a very mature game at a young age already but a rather average skillset to go with that. Both of them are lacking elite talent, both of them aren't really willing to go the extra mile physically, don't really project as volume hitters in the NHL. Levshunov may be a bit more confident with the puck while Reinbacher has slightly better hands but they're honestly very similar. The real difference is vision/processing. It's Reinbacher's biggest strength and Levshunov's biggest weakness. I mentioned it already but after last year's shitstorm I think it would be the best for everybody involved if Levshunov doesn't go in the top10. Levshunov would be struggling to meet such sky high expectations and depending on the team and market he ends up landing he'd get just as much hate as Reinbacher or even worse.
All those Levshunov games are from October. I see 1 December at the latest
Also, this idea that Jack Johnson is some disappointing pick if he was picked at 2OA isn’t really aligning with recent history.
Since 2000, these are the 2OA’s to play at least 100 games. I put them into categories compared to Johnson’s career.
Distinctly better than him: Heatley, Spezza, Staal, Malkin, Doughty, Hedman, Barkov, Eichel
Distinctly worse than him: Ryan, Staal, JVR, Murray, Patrick, Kakko
Same tier: Lehtonen, Seguin, Landeskog, Reinhart, Laine, Svechnikov
8 better, 6 worse, 6 same tier. So what you have is that Johnson is somewhere towards a middle outcome for a 2OA. Probably a little below average, but really not some terrible outcome for a 2OA if that’s all Levshunov ends up.
Can you explain how? I can’t agree with that.Jack Johnson deserves credit for being able to stick and around for as long as he has but JVR, STaal, Seguin, Landeskogg, Reinhart, Svechnikov, and Laine are all decidedly better players than Johnson. Bobby Ryan was too he just couldnt stay healthy
Can you explain how? I can’t agree with that.
We are talking about careers, not what any of them are now.