RD Artyom Levshunov (2024, 2nd, CHI)

[Mrfenn92]

Excellent job with your dick-measuring contest, guys.

All coming up small

 

[Putt Pirate]

I think both the Habs and Hawks should be happy with what is being built. 2 different team structures it seems but the Hawks are a few years behind on the rebuild. I am very happy with Lev. Kid is strong, big, and a long reach along with very good skating for someone his size. Hawks will have a good D with excellent size when they make the playoffs again, which is pretty important I think everyone can admit. Having a bunch of smurf D gets you nowhere in the playoffs. The future is bright and excited to see what we get this draft and next. Several good W in juniors/college so they are a couple years away but progressing nicely. But Lev will anchor the RHD with Rinzel for at least a decade to come.

 

[majormajor]

Anyways, as a Hawk fan dude was not my first choice and the IQ thing was just the same as what I saw. His blunders, oof. Watched a good bit of him in the NCAA and I'm not sure I've seen a guy get away with more epic goofs but they rarely landed him a -. Figured it was mostly luck. Couldn't deny the good parts though.

In the AHL I expected a rough first year, but he was definitely less mistake prone after a short while and in no time extremely confident all over. When he was called up I expected a certain amount of said goofs as well, even less in the big league? Hoping he continues this trajectory, the guy can be all over the ice at incredible angles in one or two strides, that cheat code gives him a huge presence to unexpectedly step up anywhere in all 3 zones which he does when he's at his best.

Fingers crossed.

Was this progress something that the Hawks scouting team expected to happen?

They had to be seeing the same screwups we all saw in the NCAA. I'm wondering how they viewed it.

 

[CallMeShaft]

Was this progress something that the Hawks scouting team expected to happen?

They had to be seeing the same screwups we all saw in the NCAA. I'm wondering how they viewed it.

He's been in a number of leagues over the last few years, and it was a common occurrence that he would start slow in each league and end the season good enough that he'd get bumped up to a tougher league the season after.

His trajectory is a big part of the selling point for Levshunov.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Was this progress something that the Hawks scouting team expected to happen?

They had to be seeing the same screwups we all saw in the NCAA. I'm wondering how they viewed it.

Again, this narrative that Levshunov was some big dumb lug that made constant bonehead plays, that appeared to catch fire on here with that one guy aggressively clip-hunting errors (in games I watched and felt he played very well) and Twitter doesn't seem to be grounded with what I'd call the "general scouting consensus". He was named the best defenseman in a strong hockey conference, the Big Ten, as a draft eligible and looked every bit the MVP on a Top 5 team in the country. Levshunov was viewed as an all-around DMan with a high ceiling and safe floor, with the added bonus of being an RHD, and that's why he went Number 2 in the draft, and had he not gone Number 2, probably goes Number 3.

 

[majormajor]

Again, this narrative that Levshunov was some big dumb lug that made constant bonehead plays, that appeared to catch fire on here with that one guy aggressively clip-hunting errors (in games I watched and felt he played very well) and Twitter doesn't seem to be grounded with what I'd call the "general scouting consensus". He was named the best defenseman in a strong hockey conference, the Big Ten, as a draft eligible and looked every bit the MVP on a Top 5 team in the country. Levshunov was viewed as an all-around DMan with a high ceiling and safe floor, with the added bonus of being an RHD, and that's why he went Number 2 in the draft, and had he not gone Number 2, probably goes Number 3.

I was watching every shift and Lev left his brain at home on many of them. Clip hunting for errors can mislead people but not when you can get a whole highlight reel of them from any three game sample.

 

[WarriorofTime]

I was watching every shift and Lev left his brain at home on many of them. Clip hunting for errors can mislead people but not when you can get a whole highlight reel of them from any three game sample.

Perhaps a bit more Errors/60, but there's not a ton of draft-eligible DMen in the NCAA to compare and the whole thing to so overblown that I gaslighted myself into thinking I must have been watching someone else with all the Big Ten Hockey I viewed a year ago. Kid like Logan Hensler who is almost exactly a year younger than Levshunov came in with a lot of hype and struggled quite a bit this year. Levshunov and Buium looked like the two best DMen for me, not a ton separation, I could see either being better, but Levshunov a natural righty (not off-hand guy) and about 20 pounds stronger to probably explain why he was ahead on most lists. I thought Buium would go third to Anaheim but he ended up falling, which worked out well for Minnesota.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

At a certain point in a rebuild (like when the team is about to take that upswing), it might be a good idea to draft the best player at a hard-to-get position like RHD or top 6 C. Those players aren’t often available in their prime years. It will remain to see how both Chicago and MTL do.

 

[WarriorofTime]

There are obviously layer to it.

If Demidov is a top 5 level scorer [i.e., Leon Draisaitl, David Pastrnak type player], then Chicago is probably bummed to be missing out even if Levshunov hits good end of his outcomes.

If Demidov is a top 20 level scorer [i.e., Brayden Point, Jake Guentzel type player], then Chicago is probably only bummed to be missing out if Levshunov hits a middle or low end of his outcomes.

If Demidov is only a top 50 level scorer [i.e., Adrian Kempe, Alex DeBrincat], then Chicago is probably only bummed to be missing out if Levshunov hits a low end outcome.

 

[deytookerjaabs]

If you actually watched full NCAA games with Lev playing he'd make multiple plays a game that would lead to big time chances the other way. His east/west shifts in the neutral zone to force pressure were often a primary reason. Thing is, that's also the bonus of his game. But he did a lot of the more risky stuff in the NCAA than he has since but he still makes those moves when it's safe(r).

In the NCAA those odd man breaks or breakaways just don't burn teams like they do in the NHL. Scouts probably understood his rookie status trying to make those heavy moves and that he perhaps understood his place in the proving ground of the game. It's not "big dumb" stuff, it's "this guy won't get away with that at the next level." Much the same as a kid in juniors will never deke through 5 guys in the pros. Doesn't mean they're a bad prospect, it's just tough to figure out who will take their tools up to another level.

 

[Muffinalt]

Damn, I thought there was an update on Lev after the last game in Rockford.

Instead we're just turd tusslin'. Okay.

Anyways, as a Hawk fan dude was not my first choice and the IQ thing was just the same as what I saw. His blunders, oof. Watched a good bit of him in the NCAA and I'm not sure I've seen a guy get away with more epic goofs but they rarely landed him a -. Figured it was mostly luck. Couldn't deny the good parts though.

In the AHL I expected a rough first year, but he was definitely less mistake prone after a short while and in no time extremely confident all over. When he was called up I expected a certain amount of said goofs as well, even less in the big league? Hoping he continues this trajectory, the guy can be all over the ice at incredible angles in one or two strides, that cheat code gives him a huge presence to unexpectedly step up anywhere in all 3 zones which he does when he's at his best.

Fingers crossed.

Yeah this is a nice description. He's loveable goofy, does things very often that you cant help but smile at or be confused, but that on the other side brings things nobody else can. So the chaos works both ways and you can tell he's fast and athletic enough to recover more often than not.

I will say I was very very surprised by his defense. He's really good at shutting down drivers 1on1 which is obviously huge especially with his mobility.

I'm a fan now for sure. Hated the pick, but I can see why the FO was in love. And it's really cool that he has that Bryzgalov like goofy personality, run to root for!