Sam Dickinson and Artyom Levshunov rank close together as two defensemen eligible for the 2024 NHL draft. Who has the edge in a handful of different categories?
Sam Dickinson and Artyom Levshunov rank close together as two defensemen eligible for the 2024 NHL draft. Who has the edge in a handful of different categories?
Seven years ago, scouts were saying a lot of the same things about Miro Heiskanen and Cale Makar that they’re now saying about Sam Dickinson and Artyom Levshunov. The parallels are pretty remarkable, actually.
Back then, Makar was a right-shot, late-birthday defender with tons of offensive flair. Levshunov is all those things, too. Heiskanen was a left shot with a more physical bent to his game and the perception of being a better all-round defenseman. Meet Sam Dickinson.
And like 2017, when Heiskanen and Makar went third and fourth overall, the margin between them isn’t tight so much as it is hermetically sealed.
“I guess you can tell by what I’m saying about them that I have them second and third on my list, eh?” said one scout who was asked about their games and has Dickinson ahead of Levshunov.
Said another scout: “I have Levshunov ahead of Dickinson, but I have them back-to-back.”
And even though Makar has a Stanley Cup to go with his Conn Smythe, Norris and Calder Trophies, we don’t hear the Dallas Stars complaining about the guy they got with the No. 3 pick. And that’s how things could turn out for the teams that draft Dickinson and Levshunov.
Here is how they stack up in key areas of the game:
Skating
Although neither is considered an elite skater, it’s seen as a strength for both players.
In terms of who has the edge, one scout probably put it best when he said, “One guy is a better skater than the other guy, who is a really good skater.” Dickinson has a smoother stride and uses his size to create a powerful push with a lot of leverage.
“Levshunov still gets a little sloppy every once in a while,” said a scout.
Edge: Dickinson
Passing
Both Dickinson and Levshunov have the unique ability to make a stretch pass to a speedy forward look almost routine, when in reality it’s not an easy thing to do.
“They both make that long pass look like a 10-footer,” said one scout. “They both snap the puck like a pro. You think they have no play, and then, all of a sudden, there’s a stretch pass to the blueline and the guy is going in for a breakaway.”
One scout compared Levshunov to Noah Dobson and Dickinson to Aaron Ekblad. Both have a good first pass, but Levshunov has the edge when it comes to other areas of the passing game.
Edge: Levshunov
Shot
Dickinson has a heavier shot, while Levshunov has more of a finesse shot that can find the target more effectively. They use their shots in different ways, kind of like how Al MacInnis used his shot one way and Chris Pronger used it another.
“Their release is pretty similar in terms of how they get it off,” said one scout.
Said another scout: “They both have a heavy shot and have the ability to get the quick wrist shot away from the point.”
Edge: Dickinson
Physicality
Despite the fact they both have good size and get involved when needed, neither player is seen as much of a banger.
“We’re talking about two guys who are way above average in a lot of areas,” said one scout. “This is one where they’re probably just average. Dickinson closes a little harder. There may be slightly more physicality with Dickinson, but it’s not an area where I would rate either one of them very highly.”
Scouts would like to see a little more nastiness from Dickinson, however.
“When Dickinson gets mad, he’s more physical,” said another scout, “but he’s got a really long fuse.”
Edge: Dickinson
This is an excerpt from Ken Campbell's Dickinson and Levshunov comparison in The Hockey News’ Draft Preview. While Dickinson has the edge in more categories so far, Levshunov gets the edge in other categories in the full article. To read that and much more, they're all available to you with a subscription at THN.com/Free. Your subscription includes access to more than 76 years of exclusive articles at The Hockey News Archive.
Adam Proteau compares both players some more:
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