Who should the Chicago Blackhawks select 2nd overall in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft?

[Malaka]

I've seen a much wider range on Levshunov in rankings than I have Demidov, not that it really matters though.


Going Belarus U18s -> USHL -> NCAA -> NHL is, for me, way too much too quick. I don't think he dominated the NCAA at the level that would want me to rush a guy into the NHL. I think he has a lot to learn (which is fine) and he doesn't need to be learning that on a team with zero insulation defensively.

Quick ramble:

One thing that’s sort of a red flag for me as an academic is that someone mentioned he doesn’t take well to studies or that school isn’t his thing.

No hate and I’m not trying to be snobby, really I understand because it wasnt for me either then or even now(I’m unfortunately a masochist, and naturally for my first degree hockey as well as other distractions in my immaturity between booze and broads were a priority at the time).

After some surface googling Belarus does rank well in quality of youth education comparatively on world rankings despite any potential corruption or hacking of these statistics — but for a pro who’s expected to have high drive and discipline, the lack of willingness to continue intellectual growth all while maybe having a lack of consistency in education assimilating to America(going from 15 in Belarus —> Green Bay —> MSU —> Rockford potentially) is maybe a question too and I’m wondering if organizations key in on. At the same time I don’t expect hockey organizations to give a damn about this sort of thing (unless you’re Eric Tulsky who might value it) and clearly these international stars are expected to leave school behind.

God help the current kids who have parents paying for the child actor home schooling hybrid hockey programs so they can live in the rink(shoutout to Ryan Taylor at mt. Prospect )

 

[statswatcher]

So now you're drafting a guy at 2 that is likely an extremely good defensive player but provides 30-40 points. Is that really the dynamic player that you want at 2?

when you put it that way, it honestly doesn't sound that bad to me. it also makes me think, when i read this and these other scouting reports and other things that people have written here, that scouting lev is basically a rorschach test. i've heard wildly conflicting things about him over the past few months. just look at the comps. when a player draws comparisons to zach bogosian, brent burns, seth jones, erik karlsson, alex pietrangelo, drew doughty, charlie mcavoy, and, i don't know, jan f***ing rutta or something, it really starts to feel like people are just seeing what they want to see in him, to the point that i don't feel like i know anything more about him and his playstyle than i did the night of the draft lottery.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Let's continue here:

GDT: - 2024 NHL Draft Talk - Hawks tentatively picking 2nd, 18th, 34th, 50th, 60th, 72nd, 138th, & 163rd Overall

Draft days are almost upon us. Let's consolidate pre-draft, draft day talk, and general discussions about what we and others are doing here. Let's spin off individual prospect chat to assorted new topics once we pick 'em.

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