Artyom Levshunov chose the pros.
At the 2024 NHL draft last month, the defenseman hadn’t decided between several options — including returning to Michigan State for his sophomore season — but the No. 2 pick settled on an answer: a three-year, entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks.
The deal carries a $975,000 salary cap hit.
“Signing Artyom gives us the opportunity to continue his development in house and take the next step into professional hockey,” general manager Kyle Davidson said in a statement Saturday. “He’s a strong two-way defenseman that has all the tools to be a high-end player in the NHL.”
On the last day of development camp Friday, Davidson said it would have been acceptable if Levshunov had continued to play in Michigan State coach Adam Nightingale’s “world-class program.”
But under the Hawks system, “we’ll have hands-on all the time, which is always a huge benefit on our end, to have that 24-7 ability to hit those touch points every day and hone in on the development and the play and the lifestyle of a young player.”
The 6-foot-2 Levshunov posted nine goals and 26 assists in 38 games with the Spartans, helping them win the Big Ten regular-season and tournament championships. He earned conference Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors.
His 35 points ranked ninth among NCAA defenseman, and he was named a second-team All-American by the American Hockey Coaches Association.
The 18-year-old Belarusian will start his professional career with the Rockford IceHogs.
Hawks officials were excited to work with the No. 2 pick in last month’s draft during development camp.
“Great personality,” IceHogs coach Anderson Sorensen said. “Just seems like a really upbeat person. Kind of confident in himself, but still very outgoing and outspoken.”
Mark Eaton, the Hawks assistant general manager of player development, called Levshunov “the full package.”
“Good size, great skater, and he has that ‘it’ factor where he wants the puck, he wants to be a difference maker, he wants to be out there in the most important times of games,” Eaton said. “And he’s not a liability defensively. I think that’s a key for defensemen, that he has that 200-foot game.
“So nothing but everything to like about him.”