Blackhawks' Artyom Levshunov Expected to Miss More Time Than Anticipated With Foot Injury
It doesn't appear as if Artyom Levshunov is going to be healthy enough to make the opening night roster of the Blackhawks this season.
USA Today Network - Blackhawks' Artyom Levshunov Expected to Miss More Time Than Anticipated With Foot InjuryThe Chicago Blackhawks' second overall pick in 2024, Artyom Levshunov, suffered a foot injury after blocking a shot and was expected to miss the Tom Kurvers Showcase. He was in a walking boot, but that wasn't supposed to last too long and initial reports said there wasn't much worry about the severity of the injury.
Elliotte Friedman had an update on the situation, stating that Levshunov is now expected to be sidelined for the entire training camp and into the beginning of the regular season. He is projected to be out of action for six weeks and in a walking boot for two weeks.
If healthy, there was a chance that Levshunov would have made the opening night roster of the Blackhawks, even if he just played a handful of games and was sent down. He is a right-shot defenseman among a group of predominantly left-shot defensive prospects. But lining the right side in Chicago is expected to be Seth Jones, Connor Murphy, and T.J. Brodie (though the latter is left handed).
Levshunov had a stellar 2023-24 season playing for Michigan State University where he scored nine goals and 35 points in 38 games en route to winning the rookie of the year and the Big 10's Defensive Player of the year.
There is a reason why the Blackhawks were so high on him, but this injury is a little bit of a setback that should keep the second overall pick out until the end of October. That means he will likely start the season in the AHL for the Rockford IceHogs where he will most definitely get more playing time and opportunity than if he were to be playing in the NHL at 18 years old.
I expect to see Levshunov suit up for the Blackhawks for at least a couple of games this season and he will be a big part of the team in the near future. The hope is that he makes a full recovery and it doesn't impact him negatively in his career.
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