Whether it's Ivan Demidov, Artyom Levshunov or someone else, GM Kyle Davidson is sure the prospect is the best for his team.
Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson won't tip his hand about who he'll select with the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft on Friday night in Las Vegas.
The league's youngest GM did say, however, he's confident in his team's pick, following a robust internal analysis and debate. So whether Chicago takes Russian forward Ivan Demidov, Michigan State defenseman Artyom Levshunov or someone else, that player should be the strongest fit for the rebuilding Blackhawks.
"I think we feel pretty confident with where we're going to go," Davidson said. "They're all really good options and that lends itself to a debate that you want to give the proper time to, right? You don't want to anoint anyone or any one direction too soon. So you give it time to breathe. You give it time to digest new information.
"It's been a pretty healthy debate and one that we've taken a lot of time to consider. But with great options come that debate. If it was a no-brainer, then we probably would have known months ago, or whenever the lottery was." See following video.
Chicago had a no-brainer last year when it drafted first overall and took Connor Bedard, who won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie of 2023-24 on Thursday night. See story in link.
The San Jose Sharks have an easy choice on Friday night with the No. 1 selection in 2024. They're expected to grab Boston University forward Macklin Celebrini.
The No. 2 slot is more complicated. Demidov, billed as the "next Nikita Kucherov" and Levshunov, who starred as a freshman with the Spartans, are the top considerations.
Davidson said his staff enjoyed finally meeting Demidov last week at the Gold Star Showcase in Florida. It's been hard to scout Russian players since Russia invaded Ukraine and its teams have been cut off from the international hockey scene. See video.
Following Levshunov has been a lot easier as he made an immediate impact in NCAA play, often on rinks within a drive of Chicago.
What do fans want? See our story based on our poll in the following link.