DENVER — The No. 2 total decide is about to make his NHL debut.
The Blackhawks known as up high prospect Artyom Levshunov on Sunday after he performed his fiftieth AHL sport Saturday. The transfer burned their third of 4 allotted post-trade-deadline call-ups, however, on this case, no one is pondering a lot about that.
Levshunov, 19, is anticipated to play in his first NHL sport this week, probably Monday towards the Avalanche. After that, the Hawks proceed their journey Thursday towards the Sharks (and No. 1 decide Macklin Celebrini) and Saturday towards the Canucks.
The Hawks in all probability will need the Belarusian defenseman to expertise Rockford’s high-stakes video games on the finish of the common season and within the AHL playoffs, so his NHL stint would possibly final solely a few weeks, giving him only a style.
He arrives because the Hawks, using a five-game level streak, search to proceed enjoying their finest hockey of the season. Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom have supplied glorious goaltending, which ought to assist forestall Levshunov’s inevitable rookie errors from resulting in too many discouraging objectives towards.
Levshunov has improved immensely for the reason that begin of Rockford’s season, however outdoors the Hawks’ group, opinions are divided on whether or not he’s fairly NHL-ready but. Even members of the Hawks’ brass don’t know for sure, they usually’re OK with that.
“Loads of instances, you don’t know [if someone is ready] till you attempt, till you see it,” Rockford interim coach Mark Eaton stated Sunday.
Levshunov’s ups and downs within the fall weren’t too shocking, contemplating how little high-level North American expertise he had coming into this season. It took him a while to be taught what works and what doesn’t towards execs.
He has surged since January, nevertheless, racking up 11 factors in his final 14 video games to get to 22 factors on the season. His 137 photographs on objective rank third amongst AHL defensemen.
“He’s beginning to ingrain a number of the professional habits into his sport: the constant compete stage and urgency stage,” Eaton stated.
“Loads of instances, much less is extra, proper? [It’s about] not going out of your option to attempt to create offense however [rather] being environment friendly together with your puck motion on retrievals and popping out of the D-zone. [He’s] preserving it easy within the offensive zone, becoming a member of [rushes] on the proper instances, getting photographs by and creating rebounds. It sounds easy, however doing it constantly is one thing that he has gotten higher with.”
Levshunov has improved most within the defensive zone, sustaining tighter gaps and stricter positioning whereas utilizing his imposing 6-2, 210-pound body to interrupt up performs.
“[He’s] taking extra satisfaction within the defensive zone and . . . being sturdy in entrance of the web,” Eaton stated. “[He’s] closing rapidly when it’s his job to shut on the puck-carrier.
“He has elite quickness and elite power. When he’s utilizing it constantly, he could be a power within the defensive zone. After which I feel he’s beginning to understand that enjoying good protection, being sound there, goes to help you possess extra pucks.”
Technically, this isn’t Levshunov’s first NHL call-up this season. He beforehand got here as much as take part in a number of Hawks practices in the course of the AHL All-Star break in early February. However this call-up is rather more important.
The Hawks now have eight defensemen on the roster. That isn’t an issue as a result of there’s no restrict after the deadline, however it is going to create some powerful choices for Hawks interim coach Anders Sorensen.
Younger defensemen Ethan Del Mastro, Louis Crevier and Wyatt Kaiser have stepped up since Seth Jones’ departure, so it is going to be fascinating to see which one Sorensen removes to slot in Levshunov. Embattled veteran T.J. Brodie, in the meantime, has been a wholesome scratch the final 4 video games and is buried even additional down the depth chart.
