On Sunday, the Chicago Blackhawks ended their six-game road trip with a 5-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. With a 3-2-1 trip, the Blackhawks are now 8-5-3 for 19 standings points. This latest victory put them in a top-three spot of the Central Division.
There have been many key contributors to this success, and one of them is Artyom Levshunov. The 2024 second overall pick has been great lately, as he is starting to show why he was such a highly touted prospect.
Levshunov's two assists against the Red Wings give him six on the six-game road trip. He is now up to nine in 15 games on the season. Levshunov is still awaiting his first career NHL goal, but that will come soon enough. The chances are there for both him and his teammates.
With the way his development has come along since the beginning of training camp, it is clear that Jeff Blashill has been great for him.
For one, Blashill moved Levshunov to the first power play unit when they were struggling. He replaced Sam Rinzel on the top unit, and they've taken off since. Levshunov finds lanes to make great passes to the forwards in areas where they can then make creative plays towards the net.
Since that move, the power play has taken off, including a 3/3 performance against the Red Wings on Sunday. Levshunov assisted on two of those three goals.
"He's definitely continuing to get better," Blashill said of Levshunov on Sunday after their win over the Wings. "Probably at the end of the game tonight, he got a little bit loose. We had a conversation earlier in the year about attacking the game and being assertive. He's a guy who plays on his instincts, and his instincts are good."
The head coach has trust in the player, which is paramount to his development if he is going to continue playing in the NHL over the AHL. Blashill runs the 11/7 strategy in most games, which is meant to help the young defensemen stay fresh. Levshunov has been the one to benefit most from this.
When the Blackhawks selected Levshunov second overall in the 2024 draft, they envisioned him being a guy who can play on a top pair for an elite team. Well, with Sam Rinzel and Alex Vlasic also there with him, there is no pressure. They can just roll out really good defensemen regularly.
Blashill won't go with 11 forwards and 7 defensemen forever, but it's helping Levshunov (and other young guys) grow into their NHL bodies. The impact being made on Levshunov is clear every game.
His compete, love for his teammates, and desire to be the best are all things he does on his own. Creating good habits to impact his game for the better is where Blashill comes in handy.
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