What could Artyom Levshunov's next contract look like?

The Chicago Blackhawks currently have three young defenseman who will become restricted free agents at the end of this season: Wyatt Kaiser, Sam Rinzel, and Artyom Levshunov. 

All three contract negotiations should be interesting. Kaiser, who waited until training camp last year to sign a two-year prove-it deal, will certainly be looking for a significant raise on his $1.7 million salary. It will also be intriguing to see if the Blackhawks will go long-term with a moderate average annual value for Rinzel; like they just did with Oliver Moore. But, the most fascinating contract negotiation will by far be Levshunov’s. 

Where does Levshunov fit in?

Drafted second-overall in 2024 out of Michigan State, Levshunov was expected to become a franchise pillar on the blueline, capable of shutting down the league’s best while adding above-average offensive production. 100 games in, it is unclear if he can reach those heights. But Blackhawks' fans often forget Levshunov has only just turned 21, and possesses enormous potential. 

This is a player who, in the span of four years, made the jump from playing U18 hockey in Belarus to the NHL. That is practically unheard of, and should not go unappreciated. Thus, it should not be surprising that when Chicago drafted Levshunov, he was a very raw prospect. Three years later, it should not be surprising that Levshunov still needs to round out his game. 

Yet, despite his flaws, Levshunov has arguably been the Blackhawks best defenseman thus far this difficult season. He ranks second on the team in average ice time. He paired well with top defenseman Bowen Byram before Byram’s injury, and he has shown the ability to efficiently exit the defensive zone with possession. It also doesn’t hurt that he has displayed improved physicality, ranking second on the team in hits (25). 

It's fair to say Levshunov is an incredibly important piece of the Blackhawks’ roster now, and will be for the foreseeable future. The question becomes, how long will Levshunov extend for, and for how much? If past precedent tells us anything, general manager Kyle Davidson prefers to lock up his homegrown young pieces long-term: he extended Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, Oliver Moore and Alex Vlasic each for five years or more. 

If Davidson wants Levshunov for five-plus years, what will it cost him? 

Two comparable contracts

The Blackhawks can look to the Anaheim Ducks for an idea of what the going rate is for young, highly-touted defenseman in today’s NHL. This summer and fall, they re-signed Pavel Mintyukov and Tristan Luneau to five and six-year contracts, both featuring a $7.2 million AAV.

Mintyukov is more comparable to Levshunov in that he was a recent first-round pick with modest offensive production and defensive numbers. Luneau’s contract sent shockwaves through the NHL because, prior to signing it, he had only played 14 career NHL games. However, there were unique circumstances involved in which Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek, after almost losing Leo Carlsson and Mintyukov to offer sheets this summer, did not want to risk not paying a young prospect early and be forced to pay him more down the line. 

$7.2 million feels like a pretty reasonable number for Levshunov, especially considering the fact that other comparable players such as the Vancouver Canucks’ Zeev Buium are making over $9 million a year. More than likely, Levshunov’s agent Dan Milstein will push for the Buium number while Davidson will stick to the Minyukov/Luneau comparison and they will meet somewhere in the middle. 

Though the Blackhawks acquired Byram to be their franchise defenseman, Levshunov represents the future of this Blackhawks' defense corps. Davidson will re-sign Levshunov, but he may consider doing it sooner rather than later to keep the asking price more manageable.