Artyom Levshunov entered the Blackhawks organization carrying the kind of expectations that can crush a young defenseman before he ever settles in. Drafted second overall in 2024, he was supposed to be the future cornerstone on the blue line, the answer Chicago had been hunting for. That picture looks different now.
With Bowen Byram in the fold, the Blackhawks’ defensive hierarchy has changed, and so has the pressure attached to Levshunov. He is still a major part of the plan, but the burden of being “the guy” no longer falls squarely on his shoulders.
That shift matters because Levshunov’s first stretch in the organization has already been a mixed bag. After going second overall behind Macklin Celebrini, the former Michigan State defenseman left college right away to begin his development in Chicago. He opened the 2024-25 season with the Rockford IceHogs and put up 22 points in 50 AHL games before earning his NHL debut on March 10.
By season’s end, Levshunov had six assists in 18 games with the Blackhawks. He was then sent back to Rockford for the IceHogs’ brief playoff run and even chipped in an overtime goal in the opening round of the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Last season, though, was the real test, and it came with plenty of turbulence. Levshunov played his first full NHL season and went through obvious growing pains.
There were shifts where he looked out of sorts in his own zone, got caught out of position, and didn’t bring enough physical edge. The mistakes piled up fast enough that Jeff Blashill scratched him before the Olympic break for what the coach called a “reset.”
A wrist injury then cut his rookie season short, costing him the final nine games.
Still, the season wasn’t without progress. Levshunov showed off the offensive skill that made him such a high pick in the first place.
He handled power-play quarterback duties and used his vision and passing to drive that unit. He finished with 22 points in 68 games.
After the Olympic break, his puck movement out of the defensive zone improved, and there were clearer signs of growth in the neutral zone and on zone entries.
Now the Blackhawks are asking something different of him. The organization still believes in him, but Byram’s arrival changes the spotlight. Chicago gave Byram a six-year, $12.5 million average annual value extension at the beginning of July, a deal that begins in the 2027-28 season and signals just how much trust the team has in him.
That gives Levshunov some room to breathe. Byram is older, more experienced, and built to carry the immediate load as the lead defenseman. Levshunov, who is 20 and heading into his sophomore campaign, can concentrate on sharpening his own game without having to be the centerpiece of the entire defense.
Connor Bedard’s presence at the draft stage back in 2024 was a sign of how strongly he believed in the Blackhawks’ direction, and the front office used that moment to show Bedard was their franchise player. The same kind of dynamic could still develop on defense. Levshunov may not be asked to be the lone face of that unit anymore, but he could still grow into a key half of a one-two punch with Byram.
In Other News...
Connor Bedard Faces A Different Kind Of Pressure In Chicago
Connor Bedard arrived in Chicago with the kind of hype that can bend a franchise around it, and he has spent the first part of his career carrying the weight that comes with being the No. 1 pick in a rebuild. Now he is moving into his fourth season with a Blackhawks roster that looks a little different around him, with more prospects and veterans filtering in and a clearer sense that the organization wants to climb out of the bottom tier.
The pressure on Bedard has not gone away, but it has changed shape. Early on, it was about surviving the spotlight and showing flashes of why he was drafted first overall in 2023. Now the expectation is more demanding, because Chicago is asking him to be the player who helps turn talent into wins, and the next step will be measured less by individual brilliance than by whether the team starts looking like a group ready to contend again. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Fans Got Another Reminder Of Bedard's Place In The NHL
The Blackhawks have a few different threads running as they head toward camp, starting with the return of their prospect showcase at the practice facility. The 2026 event will feature a 22-player roster and a schedule built to give the organization another early look at its next wave of talent, while the front office also worked to keep a young piece of the blue line in place with a new deal for Kevin Korchinski.
Amid all of that future-facing planning, Connor Bedard got another reminder of how he is viewed around the league. NHL Network placed him No. 44 on its current top-50 players list, a ranking that underscores both his value to Chicago and the expectations that come with being the face of the rebuild. For a team still shaping its next core, that kind of recognition is a marker of progress, even if the bigger leap is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Are Betting On Cole Smith To Fix A Quiet Weak Spot
The Blackhawks spent part of the offseason looking for a sturdier floor in their bottom six, and Cole Smith looks built for that kind of job. After stops with the Predators and Golden Knights, the veteran forward brings the sort of role-player profile Chicago has been targeting: physical play, reliable penalty killing and the experience that comes from surviving long enough to earn trust in harder minutes.
Smith is not arriving to drive offense, and that is the point. Chicago pursued him for a specific type of value, hoping his habits can help steady areas that were quieter than they needed to be and give the lineup more bite when games tighten up. The fit is less about flash than function, which is exactly why the Blackhawks are betting on it. [Read more 🡒]