Blackhawks calls top prospect Artyom Levshunov, whose NHL debut is about to be
Denver – The second pick is about to make his NHL debut.
The Blackhawks called the top prospect Artyom Levshunov on Sunday after participating in the 50th AHL game on Saturday. The move burned down one-third of the four allocated post-trade straight calls, but in this case no one has much thought about it.
Levshunov, 19, is expected to play in the first NHL game of the week, possibly Monday’s Avalanche. After that, the Hawks went on a trip against the Sharks (and first-place pick McLean celebrated) on Thursday and Saturday against the Canucks.
The Hawks may want Belarusian defensive players to experience Rockford’s high-stakes game at the end of the regular season and in the AHL playoffs, so his NHL tenure may only be a few weeks to give him taste.
He reached five straight wins as the Hawks, trying to continue playing his best hockey of the season. Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom provide excellent goalkeepers that will help prevent Levshunov’s inevitable rookie mistakes from leading to too many discouraged targets.
Levshunov has improved dramatically since the start of Rockford’s season, but outside the Eagles’ organization, people are different about whether he is ready. Even the Eagle’s brass members can’t be sure, they can.
“Many times, you don’t know [if someone is ready] Until you try until you see it. Rockford interim coach Mark Eaton said Sunday.
Considering that he has had very little experience in advanced North America this season, the ups and downs of the fall are not surprising. He spent some time understanding what worked and what wasn’t for professionals.
However, he has soared since January, scoring 11 points in his last 14 games and 22 points this season. He ranked third in the AHL defenseman 137.
“He started to incorporate some professional habits into his game: consistent level of competition and level of urgency,” Eaton said.
“Many times, less, right? [It’s about] Don’t try your best to create an attack, but [rather] Stand out in the search for hockey and D-Zone. [He’s] Keep it simple in the offensive zone, join [rushes] In due time, make shots and create rebounds. It sounds simple, but doing it consistently is what he gets better. ”
Levshunov has made the biggest improvement in the defensive area, maintaining a tighter gap and tighter position while breaking the game with his 6-2,210-pound frame.
“[He’s] In the defensive zone and. . . Strong in front of the net. “Eaton said. “[He’s] When it’s his job to turn off the hockey carrier, it’s closed soon.
“He has elite speed and elite power. When he uses it consistently, he can be the power in the defensive zone. Then, I think he starts to realize that having a good defense there will give you more hockey.”
Technically, this is not Levshunov’s first NHL call this season. He used to participate in some Hawks practice in the AHL All-Star Game in early February. But this call is more important.
The Eagles now have eight defensive players on the roster. This is not a problem, as there is no limit after the deadline, but it will create some tough decisions for Hawks interim coach Anders Sorensen.
Young defensive players Ethan del Mastro, Louis Crevier and Wyatt Kaiser have been strengthened since Seth Jones set out, so it’s interesting to see which Sorensen’s removal could fit Levshunov. Meanwhile, struggling veteran TJ Brodie has been a healthy scratch and has been buried on the depth chart for the past four games.
