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

[TLEH]

"If you’re going to take a Russian in the top five picks, your owner has to be on board,” one scout said. “It’s not just a hockey decision. Your GM has to have an idea of how soon that [Russian] player will or won’t be coming to North America. It’s not insurmountable, but there are added layers to taking a Russian really high in the draft.”

No Russian factor though....

Michkov just got out of a 3 year deal to come over in 1.. meanwhile Rutger McGroarty and Cutter Gauthier are telling their teams to kick rocks. I think the Russian factor is completely overblown.

I can't remember the last Russian that was any good that didn't come over. It makes too much sense for them, they make way more money.

 

[statswatcher]

No Russian factor though....

can you please point to the person who thinks the "russian factor" is not only an invalid concern, but also believes that every owner and executive in the nhl also believes it's an invalid concern? silly straw man.

 

[Castle8130]

Grant Mccaggs source; "Levshunov locked in" for Chicago

 

[clydesdale line]

Grant Mccaggs source; "Levshunov locked in" for Chicago

Hope the kid proves 75% of Hawks fans wrong. I like Levshunov quite a bit. Think he'll be a very good defenseman. His development the past 3 years has been rapid and outstanding.

 

[LavalPhantom]

Grant Mccaggs source; "Levshunov locked in" for Chicago

This team needs Ken Holland right f***ing now.

 

[ndgt10]

Grant Mccaggs source; "Levshunov locked in" for Chicago

Or is Chicago locked in for Levshunov?

 

[Toews2Bickell]

if KD goes the Levshunov route then hopefully a few things happen...send Levshunov back to MSU... fix Bedard's line but not enough to impact the w/l column, make the kid happy and help his development but thats it...be absolute dogshit next year so we can add that high end blue chip forward in the 25 draft, hopefully there are a few good ones at the top of the board

 

[hawksfan50]

KD obviously decided that the NEED for a top RD exceed thecNEED forca different kind of Center than Bedard for the 2nd line who could bring size physicality 200 ft game and shutdown ability but who also can score ...

So decision made that Lev over Lindstrom was the solutionto the greater tneed problem in the pipeline.

However.. tgerevisx1citger need.. A too scorer winger for Vedard.Hence the dilemma.. Lev or Demidov at #2.

Obviously they felt Lev coukd bexax1A dman as his ceiling but that Lindstron's ceiling isconly 1B or a 2A and not a 1A (McDavid ,,McKinnon,Mathews...top of the heap big points centers ) level.
However even if Lev never reached a 1A Dman level he still has a 2A floor..So maybe that tiooedcthevdevision between them.

However the Demidov conundrum ...providing a future top elite scorer to play with Bedard for a dynamic duo on the top line is an oppurnity cost they may run passing up..
So which solution remaining does KD choose?
Lev or Demidov.
Demidov has too much talent to fail to be a top 2 line RW...But he might fail the dynamic duo test because therevisconly 1 puck and with 2 great creators somebody has to be the creator and the other guy the finisher.. If they somehow fail with the chemistry ,if they cannot work together as 2 artistes should to form an effective duo, ..or if Hawks cannot find a 3rd guy on the winge to complement their offense whike providing 200ft defebsivehelp,then the entire rational for draftibg Demidov goes poof.Sure he coukd drive line instead..but the point to drafting him is to be an eiite1RW ...not just a 2RW.

Thus from a GM point of view maybe too much risk drafting Demidov if tge dram of a dynamic duo online 1 of 2 elite stars goes crashing ..whereas if Levshunov cannot ever get to ekite 1D status,it still is fine if hebisca 2 level A RD ..because defense right shotsxwith competency so hard to find.Easier to find good 2RW via trade or free agency .

So Demidiv greater ceiling butvif cannot reach it as 1RW then better to take higher floor value in Levshunov.

 

[Kevin Musto]

Grant Mccaggs source; "Levshunov locked in" for Chicago

Kyle's smokescreen game is elite. Everyone is buying in.

 

[Taze em]

Levshunov probably not going back to MSU. Based on Peters he said he got the impression the kid doesn’t like school. Scouts are varied in their opinions but it seems that opinions vary from NHL ready to end of season call up. The most common answer has been that they think he’s a 20-30 game AHL guy.

I’d expect him with Hawks playing with Vlasic by January.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

just don't have him on the roster to 'try to speed things up'...

 

[LavalPhantom]

If it's Lev it's Lev. It will just be super underwhelming to have the 2nd overall pick and get a guy that some teams have outside the top 7. Maybe that's how the draft was always going to be for the team picking 2, but I felt that Demidov was at least close to a consensus pick.

What sucks even more on a personal level is that Demidov will potentially end up with the team I hate the most, the Habs and their obnioxious fans, and I live in Montreal so I will never hear the end of it.

 

[Kevin Musto]

Levshunov probably not going back to MSU. Based on Peters he said he got the impression the kid doesn’t like school. Scouts are varied in their opinions but it seems that opinions vary from NHL ready to end of season call up. The most common answer has been that they think he’s a 20-30 game AHL guy.

I’d expect him with Hawks playing with Vlasic by January.

I don't have any problem with Levshunov playing in the AHL next season. I think it's a good idea for him.

I absolutely have a problem with him playing in the NHL.

 

[Taze em]

Hawks fans gonna be shocked to learn that defensemen are not, in fact, strapped to the offensive blue line. What is this guy doing roaming around all over the place?

Vlasic and Levshunov are your top pair 24 minutes a night for the next 10 years. Awesome, awesome stuff.

 

[clydesdale line]

I don't have any problem with Levshunov playing in the AHL next season. I think it's a good idea for him.

I absolutely have a problem with him playing in the NHL.

100% agree. But in my opinion he's more NHL ready than Korchinski last year and I still feel they rushed him. As quick of a study as Levshunov is, I wouldn't be shocked if Richardson likes him enough to break the roster with.

 

[Taze em]

I don't have any problem with Levshunov playing in the AHL next season. I think it's a good idea for him.

I absolutely have a problem with him playing in the NHL.

Just telling you what the opinions are. I agree I’m not gifting him a spot in the NHL but if he’s .7 ppg in AHL and has full mastery as a PP1QB down there by January I wouldn’t block him.

The big thing he needs to master is that PP piece.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

100% agree. But in my opinion he's more NHL ready than Korchinski last year and I still feel they rushed him. As quick of a study as Levshunov is, I wouldn't be shocked if Richardson likes him enough to break the roster with.

Murphy out in deal to WPG for Ehlers and Levshunov in? Could see that happening

 

[Taze em]

Then you give him 40 games in the NHL and send him back for a big playoff run in Rockford

 

[Hawkaholic]

can you please point to the person who thinks the "russian factor" is not only an invalid concern, but also believes that every owner and executive in the nhl also believes it's an invalid concern? silly straw man.

I cant remember who it was, but its somewhere in the draft thread. I was called a boomer for saying it was a thing.

 

[ClydeLee]

100% agree. But in my opinion he's more NHL ready than Korchinski last year and I still feel they rushed him. As quick of a study as Levshunov is, I wouldn't be shocked if Richardson likes him enough to break the roster with.

I wanted Korch down but the options of NCAA or AHL for Lev are way better than the whl for korch, which was his only real option

 

[MTU34]

If it is Levshunov I’d really prefer to see him back at Michigan State for another year. I think getting to play a second year at the same level would go a long way towards addressing whatever concerns that may exist about his processing/decision making

 

[Castle8130]

Hawks have invested a ton in the blue-line. The future of the back-end is

Korchinski (7th oa)-Levshunov (2nd oa)
Vlasic-xxx

One of Rinzel, EDM, and Allan takes the xxx spot.

 

[TLEH]

I'm not going to whine if its Levshunov but I damn sure will whine if they rush him.

 

[Kevin Musto]

100% agree. But in my opinion he's more NHL ready than Korchinski last year and I still feel they rushed him. As quick of a study as Levshunov is, I wouldn't be shocked if Richardson likes him enough to break the roster with.

I agree with that assessment, but Korchinski should have been in the WHL this past season (after his 9 game stint).

We don't need to repeat mistakes.

 

[dj Mahoney]

The only way in hell Lev is picked , is if Demidov pulled the same thing that the little Russian dink pulled picking Philly last year . Rubbing teams the wrong way at dinner .