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Artyom Levshunov, Chicago Blackhawks (David Kirouac-Imagn Images)

Artyom Levshunov’s Current Path With Blackhawks

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Brooke LoFurno | Last updated Oct 13, 2025 4:05 PM ET

The spotlight has shone brightly on young defenseman Artyom Levshunov. Considering he made his NHL debut last season and made the Chicago Blackhawks out of training camp, many have debated whether starting with the Blackhawks or starting in the American Hockey League (AHL) was the correct choice for his development.

The Blackhawks made their choice, and they’re standing by it.

Blackhawks Targeting Growth With Levshunov

When you are dealing with a second overall pick, expectations are going to be high. Especially considering that Levshunov is considered to be a pillar of the Blackhawks’ future defense on the right side. But there have been some speed bumps.

During the preseason, he had moments of inconsistency, which have continued into the season. But that wasn’t entirely unexpected. It’s rare to see young players jump into the NHL looking like superstars. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and coach Jeff Blashill is taking it to heart, especially when it comes to Levshunov.

By looking at his stats, there are encouraging signs. He’s a plus-1 in two games (third-best among Blackhawks’ defensemen). He has one point (being the assist on André Burakovsky’s goal), and he has created good chemistry on a pairing with Wyatt Kaiser. They have been a successful duo that complements each other, as Kaiser explained to my colleague Gail Kauchak during training camp, “He helps me in the D-zone. I help in the offensive zone. Our strengths are kind of different … we play off each other.”

However, there’s a part of him that has been the talk around town. Levshunov has amassed eight penalty minutes in two games, which is second-most on the team (behind Louis Crevier). However, the one penalty he took against the Boston Bruins with less than three minutes left in a 3-3 game, where he took a high-sticking penalty against Morgan Geekie, didn’t sit right with the coaching staff.

Levshunov ended up being a healthy scratch for the Blackhawks’ home opener against the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 11. Blashill explained, “Well, it’s a learning process, and that’s just the reality of it. I thought there was some good moments, and there were some moments that he has to learn from. Certainly, the penalty late in the game is a big moment, you know, where guys are going to make mistakes, and we’ve talked about that as a staff and with our group, like this isn’t about making mistakes. This is about certain choices. And what are those certain choices- those, you know, any kind of winning hockey moments, and that’s one of them. You can’t take penalties late in the game like that.”

You could say that no one is above the law in hockey and that when players make certain “choices” in a game, there’s nothing wrong with being a healthy scratch as a result. It happens to the best of them.

But is it worth going a step further to say that Levshunov could use more time in Rockford to gain more experience, just like what the team is doing with Kevin Korchinski, Nolan Allan, and Ethan Del Mastro?

Well, not so fast. After the Montreal game, Blashill was asked about their approach with Levshunov, “I think the biggest thing for us is trying to look at his development path. And… sometimes it’s okay to sit, to miss games. It’s okay to, in certain games, not get a lot of ice time. That’s part of development, too. You know, I don’t think development is just, you just play, and they magically get better. Certainly, playing is part of it. You got to have confidence. But learning how to do things certain ways is part of it, too.”

Blashill continued, “Making sure, you know, there’s all that. We feel like the best place for him to be is with us right now, and he’s going to play plenty of games, and there’s going to be some games he doesn’t play. And that’s just the reality of it. But honestly, it’s not a big deal. It’s part of the growth process for a lot of players.”

How Will Levshunov Respond to Healthy Scratch?

So, that settles it. We won’t be seeing Levshunov sent to Rockford anytime soon, and it’s all by design. They know he has to figure it out, and he has to do it at the NHL level. It’s almost like trial by fire with the young players. He was a healthy scratch. So, how does he respond? That’s key, and there are reasons to believe he will have a good response when he returns to the lineup.

Blashill said last week, “He wants to do a good job. I think he and I have had a good rapport. We have fun together, but I can also be hard on him. And he’s actually a guy who, I think, accepts that kind of coaching and has played very, very well when those moments have happened.”

19-year-old Levshunov has endless potential as a defenseman with the way he skates, the way he can create offense, and how he can defend. It makes him an exciting prospect. Alas, this path is typical, and Levshunov should benefit from this experience in the long run.