Levshunov's Rollercoaster Year Has the Blackhawks in a Draft Bind That Could Define Their Rebuild

The Blackhawks front office faces a fascinating problem heading into June's NHL Draft, and it all comes down to whether their young defenseman Levshunov is the future cornerstone or a cautionary tale about rushing development.

Chicago finished last in the Central for the fourth straight year and will pick in the top five again. They're currently slated to pick 2nd overall, which means they're almost certainly taking either Stenberg or McKenna. But here's where it gets messy: if the lottery lottery bounces their way (or doesn't), and they drop to the 3-5 range, every single projected pick is a defenseman. Two of them are right shot D-men. And that's when the real questions start.

The Young Defensive Core That Can't Shake One Question Mark

The Blackhawks have built something genuinely promising on the back end. Vlasic looks like a legitimate shutdown guy. Crevier has emerged as another legitimate piece. Kaiser looks like he'll be a top four staple for years. But Levshunov? That first year was a ride.

The highs were VERY high. The tools and traits are obvious. The lows were horrible. Levshunov had a rollercoaster of a season tied directly to hockey IQ, with frustrating plays and mental lapses that raise real questions about his long term projection. After 86 NHL games, it's hard not to notice that he's repeating the same mistakes over and over again.

Yes, it's early. Defensemen typically need 200-300 NHL games to fully develop. Guys like Makar, McAvoy, Hughes, Seider, and Schafer hit the ground running, but they're the exception, not the rule. Levshunov was always going to be more of a project.

Past Decisions Can't Lock in Future Ones

Here's the fork in the road: the Blackhawks still need to go best player available. If Verhoeff and Reid are the top guys on the board at 3 or 4, you can't pass on them just because you already took Levshunov. And if they do take a right shot defenseman that high, it kind of speaks for itself about where the organization really stands on their young D-core.

This summer needs to be the summer the rebuild takes a real step forward. That could mean a blockbuster trade for a top six forward. It definitely means player development has to accelerate. The window is open, and the next moves will define whether this core actually builds into a contender or gets stuck in this same cycle.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.