ROCKFORD, Ill. — You never knew what you were going to get in the Artyom Levshunov experience whenever he stepped onto the ice early on into his Rockford IceHogs season.
From his skating to offense to creativity to size, there were shifts in every game where the 19-year-old Levshunov showed exactly why the Chicago Blackhawks drafted him second overall last year. But there were also plenty of shifts where he seemed to just go anywhere and everywhere his instincts told him. Sometimes that paid off and his athletic abilities overcame whatever risk he took, but there were other times where someone else had to step up for him or the IceHogs were pulling the puck out of the back of the net.
None of it surprised Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson. He understood in drafting Levshunov that patience was required in his development. Levshunov had gone from his native Belarus to Green Bay, Wis. to play in the USHL for one season, to Michigan State for another season, to being drafted and turning pro in another year. A lot had been put on Levshunov’s plate on and off the ice in a short time.
“It’s just been this constant moving and trying to get used to a new environment every single year for a player,” Davidson said recently. “He didn’t speak the language when he came over and he’s had to get accustomed to a new language, cultural changes, going to school, new teammates, new coaches every year.
“We also knew that there were some things that he needed to work on the ice. And so that’s why we thought having hands on all the time in Rockford was the best for his development, because we just believe so much in the upside to this player that once he he does assimilate and does get use to the program and clean up some of the things that pro players do and and really build that into his game, the sky’s the limit for him.”
That’s been a season-long process for Levshunov in Rockford. Games have been followed by days of practice and video dissection and then more games to put what he learned to the test. That is backed by more development work with IceHogs interim coach Mark Eaton — who stepped in from his role as assistant general manager of player development when Anders Sörensen was promoted — and his staff and hockey operations special advisor Brian Campbell.
Five months and 50 games into his first pro season, Levshunov has made noticeable progress. There are still those occasional shifts where he’ll end up on the left side of the ice, though his responsibility is the right side, for no other than reason than what his instincts told him, but it doesn’t happen that often. Levshunov’s game, especially without the puck, is less unpredictable and more structured. His gaps have improved. He understands his role in the defensive zone more. He’s grasping pro hockey more.
“It was getting used to it and the hockey here,” Levshunov said after a recent IceHogs practice. “It feels good. It feels my way now. I had to learn it’s harder and harder in my own zone and gaps. I had to have better gaps and a few other things.”
A lot of what Levshunov has been taught this season is just where to be on the ice in different defensive situations. Offensively, the IceHogs coaching staff is mostly hands-off.
“He has some offensive abilities that can’t be taught,” Eaton said. “When the puck’s on his stick or we have the puck, it’s kind of just let him do his thing and correct something if it needs to be corrected. It’s more instilling in him the importance of defense and positioning and him realizing that sometimes working to be in a better defensive position will get the puck on your stick more. So I think he’s having having that realization.”
The Blackhawks called up Levshunov for a few days last month and allowed him to practice with NHL players. He said the speed of the game was different than he was used to, but he felt he was adapting over the week. On Sunday, he was recalled again and is expected to get games this time around. He could make his NHL debut on Monday.
The Blackhawks believe this is the next phase of his development.
To get a better idea of where Levshunov’s game is at, here are some clips from recent games along with some context.
One of the biggest things the Blackhawks have been working with Levshunov on this season is his gap control. They want him defending as high up as possible and not letting opponents out of the defensive zone or into the offensive zone too easily. A lot of defensemen, especially young ones, tend to gravitate backwards because they don’t want opponents flying by them.
“I think it is just trusting yourself and trusting your skating,” said Sörensen, who coached Levshunov in Rockford early in the season. “Obviously it’s on the forwards to make sure we’re helping guys to reload so those guys can stay in. But for Arty especially, it’s trusting that and being on the front of your foot on the blue line vs. backing off. And there’s moments where he does that and we’ve seen that in Rockford and he looks really good. He keeps a lot of pucks alive because he’s a rangy kid and he can skate. We want him to keep working on that and keep improving in that area. That’s one of the biggest areas for him. He gets that and he’s on the way to do that. He’s closer.”
Levshunov holds the defensive line here and jumps into the play.
This is a better example of what the Blackhawks want him doing as opponents are attempting to exit the defensive zone.
“It takes time to learn those habits when you’ve played against certainly a lower level than the AHL,” Davidson said. “And then also you’ve been running on a lot of instinct and just take the puck and go. There’s other parts of the game that that you need to be mindful of and needs to learn. We’re seeing great progress in that.”
Levshunov defends the rush this time.
“It’s not hard to learn the gaps, I just have to do it,” said Levshunov, who has been around 23 minutes most games. “I feel good from the last games. My gaps are good.”
Levshunov is highly involved in this shift. He jumps the opponents’ pass in the neutral zone, creates a chance the other way, has a shot on net and later breaks up a rush the other way.
The Blackhawks want Levshunov to be aggressive in everything he does. The gaps have been the biggest hurdle over this season, but he is eager to move forward. On this play, he cuts off the puck carrier before the blue line and then jumps into the attack.
Levshunov shows his strength and skating here. He’s able to defend the blue line despite having to get through his opponent.
Levshunov defends high in the defensive zone, skates back later in the play and makes another play on the puck.
Levshunov leaps to keep the puck in the offensive zone here and then sets up a teammate for a goal. Levshunov has been picking up more points the last few months. He has three goals and eight assists in his last 14 games. He had two goals and nine assists in his first 36 games this season.
Levshunov has the type of patience and vision with the puck you rarely see from defensemen.
This is another play where Levshunov shapes a scoring chance with his patience.
Levshunov scores off this faceoff win. Sometimes that is noticeable about him is he’s often trying to get the puck to the middle of the ice when he shoots.
(Photo: Jimmy Doles/ Rockford IceHogs)
