For the first time since 2019, when the Blackhawks took Kirby Dach third overall, there’s a real debate surrounding the Hawks’ first-round pick.
With the Hawks holding the No. 2 overall pick, there isn’t one obvious choice, but there are almost certainly only two: Russian forward Ivan Demidov and Michigan State defenseman Artyom Levshunov.
Strong cases to be made in favor of both prospects. The Hawks held their internal scouting meetings last week to run through that debate, but they will hold off on making a final decision anyway until June — after the scouting combine in Buffalo (which Levshunov will attend) and a camp in Florida for Russian prospects represented by agent Dan Milstein (which they both will attend).
They’ll get to know both guys better personally and get answers to any outstanding questions at those events before the draft itself June 28-29 in Las Vegas.
There’s also the No. 18 overall pick, which the Hawks acquired Friday in a trade with the Islanders, giving up the 20th pick (which they received from the Lightning) as well as the 54th and 61st selections to get the 18th and 50th selections.
There are a ton of prospects potentially in play there. But the spotlight is focused on the No. 2 pick.
The case for Demidov
In the opinion of Chris Peters, NHL scouting expert for FloHockey, Demidov is the second-most dynamic offensive talent in the 2024 draft after obvious No. 1 pick Macklin Celebrini.
“The shot, the stickhandling ability, the passing ability, the hockey sense are all very high-end,” Peters said. “His skating is average, but his ability to process the game offensively with some creativity can make him a potential gamebreaking player.
“Demidov gives the opportunity to get a player that’s not [exactly] an equal to Bedard but a comparable running mate, which is what makes him an attractive option at No. 2.”
The 5-11, 181-pound, 18-year-old right winger absolutely dominated the Russian junior league this season, racking up 88 points in 47 games during the regular season and playoffs combined. His ability to maneuver effectively through traffic stands out on his highlight reels, which are something to behold.
His skill set would complement Bedard well. He’s not a high-volume shooter like Bedard, Peters said, but more of a playmaker. He’s also eager to forecheck and drive the net, which could create more possession time and space for Bedard.
On the other hand, Demidov dealt with a knee injury this season — although Hawks general manager Kyle Davidson has said he doesn’t believe that will be a long-term issue — and has an unusual skating style.
“I don’t think it’s necessarily a speed issue; his speed is OK,” Peters said. “It’s whether he has the ability to separate. He has kind of a jerky stride. He can sometimes over-rely on his edgework instead of [moving] north-south.”
The biggest concern, however, is undoubtedly Demidov’s nationality. With Russia barred from all international competitions, it’s more difficult to scout and compare Russian prospects.
Demidov has one year remaining on his contract with SKA St. Petersburg, and the Hawks wouldn’t mind waiting that out, but him signing an extension there would be a major problem. He also might receive limited playing time if he spends next season on SKA’s big-league roster; that’s another frequent problem for Russian teenagers.
The case for Levshunov
Levshunov will be the first Belarus native ever to be a top-eight NHL draft pick, but the fact he’s already in North America — having just wrapped up his freshman year at Michigan State — is a big plus.
If the Hawks draft him, they would have control over his 2024-25 destination and plenty of options to choose from. They could send him back to college, place him in the AHL or let him play in the NHL immediately.
“The real question the Blackhawks are going to have to ask themselves is, ‘Do we feel he’s going to be our No. 1 guy on the right side of our defense for the years to come?'” Peters said. “If the answer to that question is a confident yes, I would take the defenseman over the top-line winger because it’s a scarcer product — especially a right-shot defenseman.”
Levshunov, who is already 6-2 and 209 pounds and — by all accounts — physically ready for pro hockey, also averaged nearly a point per game (35 points in 38 games) as a freshman for the Spartans.
“He’s going to be a big-time player just because of how easy he makes the game look,” Peters said. “He just has no panic level. He’s very confident with the puck on his stick…[and he has] the ability to get shots through.”
His defensive abilities are less proven and consistent, but his size and physicality make scouts believe he will improve over time there. He doesn’t project to be exclusively an offensive defenseman.
For the Hawks, the biggest drawback to drafting Levshunov has to be their preexisting surplus of young, talented defensemen (compared to their decent but less stacked forward prospect pool). Even when looking at Kevin Korchinski, Alex Vlasic and Sam Rinzel, though, Levshunov compares favorably.
“I think he’s the best of that group. He’s more well-rounded; there are more elements to his game than there are to any of those other three guys,” Peters said. “The thing to consider is, is he as good as we think he’s going to be? Because the transition for defensemen tends to be a lot more difficult.”
Options at No. 18
At the draft lottery, Davidson said he considers this a “deep draft.” Peters doesn’t share that assessment.
“There are fewer players that look like clear first-round draft picks in this draft,” he said. “The consensus is so far afield in this draft, there’s a huge clump of guys that could make sense.”
The fact the hierarchy is so murky makes it difficult to trim the list of possibilities for that latter first-round choice. Depending on whether the Hawks take the forward or the defenseman at No. 2, it would make sense if they targeted the other position at No. 18.
Among defensemen in that range, Peters likes E.J. Emery, a 6-3 defensive defenseman committed to North Dakota for next season. His stock has surged recently because of his strong play at the under-18 world championships, which the Hawks scouted heavily.
Among forwards in that range, Michael Hage “fits the Hawks’ usual profile” in terms of his elite skating ability and has also spent the last two seasons playing for the Chicago Steel. Conversely, Cole Beaudoin — a hard-working, high-floor, defensively responsible center — would add something different to the Hawks’ preexisting pool.
Note: The Hawks re-signed depth forward Brett Seney to a one-year, two-way contract this week. Seney has made 11 NHL appearances with the Hawks over the last two seasons; he led Rockford with 63 points in 68 games this past season.