Artyom Levshunov is about to hit a clean milestone for the Blackhawks, and the timing says plenty about where his game stands right now. Chicago’s 20-year-old defenseman will skate in his 100th NHL game on Saturday, Oct. 31, when the Blackhawks face the Boston Bruins.
That number arrives after a winding first stretch in the league. Levshunov was the second overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, a selection that drew plenty of debate at the time.
Some around the game thought Chicago should have gone with Russian winger Ivan Demidov instead, especially with Connor Bedard already in the fold. The Blackhawks chose a right-handed defenseman, and Demidov ended up going fifth overall to the Montreal Canadiens.
Levshunov was never viewed as a finished product. Chicago knew it was taking on a project, and defensemen usually need more time than forwards to settle in.
The organization decided he should turn pro rather than return to Michigan State University, and he signed his entry-level contract in July 2024. “Signing Artyom gives us the opportunity to continue his development in-house and take the next step into professional hockey,” Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said.
“He’s a strong two-way defenseman that has all the tools to be a high-end player in the NHL and we’re excited to continue his growth at the pro level."
His first pro season started in Rockford, where he played 52 games for the IceHogs in 2024-25 and put up five goals and 22 points. Chicago brought him up in March, and he logged 18 games with the Blackhawks, finishing with six assists. It was a useful first taste of NHL action, even if the growing pains were obvious.
The next season was the one where he stayed with the big club from start to finish. In 68 games in 2025-26, Levshunov scored two goals and finished with 24 points.
But the year came with plenty of turbulence. He had stretches where his defensive work looked sharp, then tried to push more offense and gave some of that back on the other end.
The consistency just wasn’t there. At times, “Arty” flashed the strength and skill that made him such a high pick.
At others, the puck decisions on defense hurt him. His minus-41 plus/minus rating told that story.
This offseason, Levshunov spent most of his time in Chicago working with the Blackhawks’ coaches, and the early returns have been better. He has emerged as one of the team’s more reliable defensemen this season, especially when it comes to getting the puck out of the defensive zone.
While the Blackhawks have had trouble as a group with exits, Levshunov has been among the better players at handling that job. He looks more settled, more confident, and more comfortable in what he’s being asked to do.
Head coach Jeff Blashill likes what he’s seeing as Levshunov reaches the 100-game mark. “I think he's a better player today than he was a year ago this time last year.
He’s going to turn 21 here, today. He's still a really, really young player that's continuing to get better.
There's definitely areas where he will continue to improve. I think some of that's just experience, and there's no way to speed some experienced situations up.”
Levshunov turned 21 on Oct. 28, and Blashill pointed to the penalty kill as one of the areas where more reps will matter. “When you've killed like Ian Cole for years, you know all the nuances of it.
When you haven't, you've got to learn them, and the only way to learn them is by doing. And there's going to be a successive play related to that.
But what I could say comfortably is definitely a better player today than he was a year ago.”
So far this season, Levshunov has mostly skated on the second pairing with Wyatt Kaiser. Before Bowen Byram suffered an upper body injury, Levshunov was up on the top pair with him, and the Blackhawks are hoping that duo can become a steady first pair once Byram is back.
Through 13 games heading into Saturday, Levshunov has one goal, a game-winning overtime goal, and three points. The offense is still coming along, but the bigger picture is clear: he looks better on both sides of the puck, and his minus-5 rating is a major step forward from last season’s minus-41.
Blashill believes there’s still a lot more in there. “I think Arty could be an excellent two-way defenseman, meaning he could defend against great players because of his physical abilities, but yet still produce points, especially at five-on-five … If he can do that, it makes him a real commodity in this league.”
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