Former Spartan Defenseman's Organization Picking at Top of NHL Draft
Former Michigan State defenseman Artyom Levshunov is one of the cornerstones of the Chicago Blackhawks' rebuild, which just received even more reinforcements.
The Blackhawks landed the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery on Monday.
Chicago has not been competitive in many years, a harsh comedown after the 2010s dynasty, during which the Blackhawks won three Stanley Cups from 2010 to 2015.
In 2023, the Blackhawks won the draft lottery, which allowed them to draft prospect Connor Bedard, a center who was tabbed as a surefire No. 1 draft pick and a potentially generational player.
However, the Bedard era didn’t begin with winning hockey. In the 2023-24 season, the Blackhawks had a 23-55-6 record, which was the worst in the Central Division and second-worst in the entire NHL, behind the San Jose Sharks.
Levshunov was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The former Spartan defenseman was the reward for Chicago after its dreadful season. However, after only playing one season of NCAA Hockey with Michigan State, he was sent to the Blackhawks’ AHL Affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs for the majority of the season.
Without Levshunov, the Blackhawks continued to not succeed despite bringing in veteran forwards Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen. Chicago was last in the Central Division for a third consecutive season, which gave it great odds for a top pick once again.
Once the Blackhawks' season was mathematically over in March, Chicago gave Levshunov the nod, calling the defenseman up from the IceHogs to the NHL. Levshunov played the final 18 games of the regular season with the NHL club. In those games, he was a -13 and had six assists and no goals.
There are a few intriguing prospects that could be available for Chicago with the third pick. Boston College forward James Hagens made his NCAA debut at Munn Ice Arena against Michigan State and could be a great player to pair with Bedard and Levshunov.
The 2025-26 season will be an important one for Chicago. The expectations may not be as high as a playoff appearance, but there needs to be signs of life and a finish better than the bottom of their division for another season.
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