Gotta agree that the sky is the limit for Lev. Belarus>USHL>NCAA>AHL/NHL>NHL is such an impressive year-to-year pathway for a defenseman who just turned 20, he’s got what it takes.
Im happy with Lev progress also, very happy. Rinzel speed im concerned with and teams aren't surprised with his handles anymore and they stripping him. He for sure needs bedard off season program to work on speed and quickness. I don't think we need more offensive dmen rather we do need a couple of them to bring a heavy clapper . I like wrist shots from the point too looking for tips or shooting to score but our dmen shots don't get through a lot. Once in awhile be nice to bring the boom. Seems only one with a heavy clapper is Crevier. Korch is too weak still imo and bad in front, and along the boards fighting for pucks. Oh and even though I like Lev game too, id rather have demidov and had drafted another RD later or found FA or make trade. I liked buim better that draft but I like arty too but not drafting demigod to pair with bedard I still cannot believe didn't happen. Hard to not trust Davidson though. He's the real. Hawks still going to win multiple chips. Davidson making great contracts and players seem to have bought into earning a little less for better chance at signing all key pieces and a shot at hoisting that cup!
great video. however i still sort of choose to die on the hill that Demidov was the better player available and should have been picked. I think if davidson was able to spy into the future and see what Rinzel, Kaiser, and Crevier have become, he doesnt pick Lev. I think they picked him because of uncertainty and little faith in Korchinski.
I've noticed the same things as you have. I love to watch him. When he's on the ice, I follow him around, and I also think he's scratching the surface of his potential now. He is active and pretty unpredictable and that makes him hard to play against. He has good enough skating to get himself out of jams, and recover well. Also, he's big, and plays big. Strong and a bit of a man-child at this point. I definitely see the #1 defenseman he can be. He's changed quite a bit already. He was shooting a lot last year, now he's giving the puck to the forwards. He still makes some good chances to score by getting into the slot, and I feel like he's improving literally game to game. He's not perfect, but he seems extremely coachable and learns quickly. I'm way happy with him over Demidov, particularly given what we have in-system already.
Lev is on a good stretch, but when you look more into his deployment you find he is probably the most sheltered player in the league which is a good thing for his situation. Still think its completely valid to bring up Demidov as realistically, without my Hawks-colored glasses on, Demidov will end up being a top 3 winger in the league where Lev is probably more like a top 4 guy than top pair. Still an exciting player and he deserves our patience as a 20 year old being thrown in the NHL as his 4th league in 4 years.
He's going to be a top line dman. There's a large portion of fans here in Chicago that are compete idiots about the teams they follow. They don't watch anything but their own teams, no watching of college/amateur players or other teams in the league. They have a tunnel vision view and are very quick to accept what they are told from the national media as opposed to actually understanding the game.
Levshunov gets credit for making the simple play. He also seems to have a better read on how much time he has to make a play and the speed of NHL game. Your analysis is backed up by the fact that Lev points are mostly secondary assists. Keeps the puck in the zone on the PP, makes the early safe pass to the playmakers Bedard, Burakovsky, or Teuvo. Also contributes by making safe pinches to keep the puck in the zone to extend the OZone time. Still is learning. Just turned 20, but despite his gaffs he appears to be a quick learner. I wasn’t sure during pre-season but I do believe now he is better off learning and growing at NHL level under the coaching staff Blashill and Sorensen. He will improve his defensive defenseman game slowly but surely. Just needs experience and direct supervision corrective coaching.
I wanted demidov , everyone I know wanted demidov , but to compare the 2 is like comparing an apple and an orange , they play different positions. You need to compare him to another young defensemen like a Zev Bium. It’s like comparing a running back to a quarterback back. Give him a full year at least , my lord , the fucking cancel culture just pissing me off. I think it’s going to take a full year maybe 2 , Levshunov is going to be fine , in fact he is going to be awesome and a top defenseman in the league in my opinion. You can tell the kid really has no idea how to react to a play yet most of the time he gets the job done . He just needs to stop with the “ WTFYD “moments .
Break down the advanced analytics and he's usually at the top most games. Even with his flubs. The Hawks ultimately built this team right. Defense in any league wins championships and is the hardest thing to nail down. It's not sexy, but we'll all be happy Kyle drafted the way he did. The offense is coming and soon they'll have an embarrassment of riches and decisions to make.
So so so incredibly proud to say I was an arty advocate in 2024, the hawks this season have changed my outlook on life honestly, I used to pray for times like this
Okay, you want to compare apples to apples Cale Makar was drafted 4th overall in 2017. Levshunov is not and never will be a Cale Makar. He's much slower, can't carry the play, will never live up to being the 2nd pick of the draft. The Hawks drafted him too high and are handing him playing time on the PP even though he hasn't earned it. He's a deer in the headlights. He can't wait to get rid of the puck, like it's a hot potato, which leads to passes into his teamate's skates or to te other team. He needs to be in Rockford getting better at the things he was supposedly great at that had the Hawks willing to draft him so high. If all these Levshunov fans think it's okay to draft this at 2 then their the ones who need their head examined. He's not fast, he's not a 100+ point a year d-man. They could've drafted a d-man in the later rounds that can do what this player does.
I wanted the Hawks to draft him. They needed the size and the right handed shot. I'm 74, and remember the growing pains from 2 young D's in Seabrook and Keith…remined me, how did that work out?
NOBODY would draft Levshunov over Demidov in a redraft is the sad reality. Neither Levshunov nor Rinzel have the overall grasp to be a no. 1 2-way defensemen. It is a rare skill you're mostly born with, much like physical traits. Both can develop into really solid, defense first, complimentary D men on a serious cup contender. The difference is one was a low 1st round pick, the other was the no. 2 overall pick in the draft. Unfortunately, the Hawks seem to have graduated past the point of being in the running for future no. 2 overall picks with this group. And you can never get that back. Davidson could have had an offense that came at you in waves with Demidov at no. 2 and Eiserman at no. 18 (they already had young defensive depth, true upside offense is what was available and what was needed in that draft.) Instead, they went with 2 pedestrian picks. Korchinski was another bad over-draft pick.
Levshunov stays on top unit until he loses it or Rinzel takes it away. Not sure if this team will have a true #1 defenseman, but I think they will have a few top pairing guys depending on how Levshunov and Rinzel turn out. I think Vlassic is already there. Korchinski should be a guy they look to package with other assets for an impact player next season.
Hawks fans and sports fans in general can have a tendency to show very little patience, which is a difficult thing when you’re going through a rebuild and drafting a raw defenseman 2nd overall. I wanted Demidov but it’s hard to deny that the ceiling for a big RHD is simply higher than it is for a winger. He’s liable for one catastrophic blunder per game but his progression has already been impressive.
This team needs size ,another made of glass winger is not that clever choice, and that was before Bedard improve his defensive play, so they made right choice it's just take time fo Arty to grow.
maybe its just cuz ima spartan but I've always been on the lev train. It was great to see him move up to pp1 and plus he seems like a great guy he the happiest one on the ice when someone scores cant wait to see him get his first.
I don’t see Korchinski as the top offensive talent on the hawks think we need a guy like Verhoeff or Villeneuve who can take over games that’s the only way you win cups an elite defenseman and 2 great forwards with a supporting cast it’s worked for almost every team that’s won a cup
Lev feels like a better fit in PP1, let rinzel be QB on PP2 where bedard and Nazar are not there so rinzel gets more opportunities to use his talent and playmaking instead of trying to outshine the main guys
levshunov is sutch a raw skilled player thats played in 4 different leagues in 4 years since coming to the united states thats a very rare thing for anyplayer to do and have success. hes never been able to get comfortable in a single league and develop so id imagine the more comfortable he gets the better he will play and the skys the limit.
Good video from the Grasser. The Rinkside General is wrong. You say that there is a window for an offensive dynamo defenseman that the Hawks are still lacking. I'd argue that even if they are lacking that, they don't need it to be a Stanley Cup Champion. 2 way suffocating defensemen win in the playoffs. Not purely offensive dynamos. Did the Hawks dynasty have an offensive dynamo? No. Keith was a monster 2 way dman. Did the Pittsburgh Penguins cup teams? No, Letang was a good 2way dman in his prime. Did the Kings? No. Doughty was a great 2way dman in his prime. Did Tampa's cup teams? No. Hedman was a monster 2way dman in his prime. Did Florida's cup teams? No. They have Forsling and Ekblad, great 2way dmen.
27 Comments
Gotta agree that the sky is the limit for Lev. Belarus>USHL>NCAA>AHL/NHL>NHL is such an impressive year-to-year pathway for a defenseman who just turned 20, he’s got what it takes.
He's gonna be fine.
Im happy with Lev progress also, very happy. Rinzel speed im concerned with and teams aren't surprised with his handles anymore and they stripping him. He for sure needs bedard off season program to work on speed and quickness. I don't think we need more offensive dmen rather we do need a couple of them to bring a heavy clapper . I like wrist shots from the point too looking for tips or shooting to score but our dmen shots don't get through a lot. Once in awhile be nice to bring the boom. Seems only one with a heavy clapper is Crevier. Korch is too weak still imo and bad in front, and along the boards fighting for pucks. Oh and even though I like Lev game too, id rather have demidov and had drafted another RD later or found FA or make trade. I liked buim better that draft but I like arty too but not drafting demigod to pair with bedard I still cannot believe didn't happen. Hard to not trust Davidson though. He's the real. Hawks still going to win multiple chips. Davidson making great contracts and players seem to have bought into earning a little less for better chance at signing all key pieces and a shot at hoisting that cup!
great video. however i still sort of choose to die on the hill that Demidov was the better player available and should have been picked. I think if davidson was able to spy into the future and see what Rinzel, Kaiser, and Crevier have become, he doesnt pick Lev. I think they picked him because of uncertainty and little faith in Korchinski.
I've noticed the same things as you have. I love to watch him. When he's on the ice, I follow him around, and I also think he's scratching the surface of his potential now. He is active and pretty unpredictable and that makes him hard to play against. He has good enough skating to get himself out of jams, and recover well. Also, he's big, and plays big. Strong and a bit of a man-child at this point. I definitely see the #1 defenseman he can be. He's changed quite a bit already. He was shooting a lot last year, now he's giving the puck to the forwards. He still makes some good chances to score by getting into the slot, and I feel like he's improving literally game to game. He's not perfect, but he seems extremely coachable and learns quickly. I'm way happy with him over Demidov, particularly given what we have in-system already.
Lev is on a good stretch, but when you look more into his deployment you find he is probably the most sheltered player in the league which is a good thing for his situation. Still think its completely valid to bring up Demidov as realistically, without my Hawks-colored glasses on, Demidov will end up being a top 3 winger in the league where Lev is probably more like a top 4 guy than top pair. Still an exciting player and he deserves our patience as a 20 year old being thrown in the NHL as his 4th league in 4 years.
He's going to be a top line dman. There's a large portion of fans here in Chicago that are compete idiots about the teams they follow. They don't watch anything but their own teams, no watching of college/amateur players or other teams in the league. They have a tunnel vision view and are very quick to accept what they are told from the national media as opposed to actually understanding the game.
Levshunov gets credit for making the simple play. He also seems to have a better read on how much time he has to make a play and the speed of NHL game. Your analysis is backed up by the fact that Lev points are mostly secondary assists. Keeps the puck in the zone on the PP, makes the early safe pass to the playmakers Bedard, Burakovsky, or Teuvo. Also contributes by making safe pinches to keep the puck in the zone to extend the OZone time. Still is learning. Just turned 20, but despite his gaffs he appears to be a quick learner. I wasn’t sure during pre-season but I do believe now he is better off learning and growing at NHL level under the coaching staff Blashill and Sorensen. He will improve his defensive defenseman game slowly but surely. Just needs experience and direct supervision corrective coaching.
I wanted demidov , everyone I know wanted demidov , but to compare the 2 is like comparing an apple and an orange , they play different positions. You need to compare him to another young defensemen like a Zev Bium. It’s like comparing a running back to a quarterback back. Give him a full year at least , my lord , the fucking cancel culture just pissing me off. I think it’s going to take a full year maybe 2 , Levshunov is going to be fine , in fact he is going to be awesome and a top defenseman in the league in my opinion. You can tell the kid really has no idea how to react to a play yet most of the time he gets the job done . He just needs to stop with the “ WTFYD “moments .
Break down the advanced analytics and he's usually at the top most games. Even with his flubs. The Hawks ultimately built this team right. Defense in any league wins championships and is the hardest thing to nail down. It's not sexy, but we'll all be happy Kyle drafted the way he did. The offense is coming and soon they'll have an embarrassment of riches and decisions to make.
So so so incredibly proud to say I was an arty advocate in 2024, the hawks this season have changed my outlook on life honestly, I used to pray for times like this
Okay, you want to compare apples to apples Cale Makar was drafted 4th overall in 2017. Levshunov is not and never will be a Cale Makar. He's much slower, can't carry the play, will never live up to being the 2nd pick of the draft. The Hawks drafted him too high and are handing him playing time on the PP even though he hasn't earned it. He's a deer in the headlights. He can't wait to get rid of the puck, like it's a hot potato, which leads to passes into his teamate's skates or to te other team. He needs to be in Rockford getting better at the things he was supposedly great at that had the Hawks willing to draft him so high. If all these Levshunov fans think it's okay to draft this at 2 then their the ones who need their head examined. He's not fast, he's not a 100+ point a year d-man. They could've drafted a d-man in the later rounds that can do what this player does.
I wanted the Hawks to draft him. They needed the size and the right handed shot. I'm 74, and remember the growing pains from 2 young D's in Seabrook and Keith…remined me, how did that work out?
NOBODY would draft Levshunov over Demidov in a redraft is the sad reality. Neither Levshunov nor Rinzel have the overall grasp to be a no. 1 2-way defensemen. It is a rare skill you're mostly born with, much like physical traits. Both can develop into really solid, defense first, complimentary D men on a serious cup contender. The difference is one was a low 1st round pick, the other was the no. 2 overall pick in the draft. Unfortunately, the Hawks seem to have graduated past the point of being in the running for future no. 2 overall picks with this group. And you can never get that back. Davidson could have had an offense that came at you in waves with Demidov at no. 2 and Eiserman at no. 18 (they already had young defensive depth, true upside offense is what was available and what was needed in that draft.) Instead, they went with 2 pedestrian picks. Korchinski was another bad over-draft pick.
Levshunov stays on top unit until he loses it or Rinzel takes it away. Not sure if this team will have a true #1 defenseman, but I think they will have a few top pairing guys depending on how Levshunov and Rinzel turn out. I think Vlassic is already there. Korchinski should be a guy they look to package with other assets for an impact player next season.
Hawks fans and sports fans in general can have a tendency to show very little patience, which is a difficult thing when you’re going through a rebuild and drafting a raw defenseman 2nd overall. I wanted Demidov but it’s hard to deny that the ceiling for a big RHD is simply higher than it is for a winger. He’s liable for one catastrophic blunder per game but his progression has already been impressive.
This team needs size ,another made of glass winger is not that clever choice, and that was before Bedard improve his defensive play, so they made right choice it's just take time fo Arty to grow.
I wanted Demidov but with how Levy is doing now I believe he can become the next Victor Hedman
maybe its just cuz ima spartan but I've always been on the lev train. It was great to see him move up to pp1 and plus he seems like a great guy he the happiest one on the ice when someone scores cant wait to see him get his first.
wanted Demidov. They drafted the 3rd best D man in the draft.
I don’t see Korchinski as the top offensive talent on the hawks think we need a guy like Verhoeff or Villeneuve who can take over games that’s the only way you win cups an elite defenseman and 2 great forwards with a supporting cast it’s worked for almost every team that’s won a cup
Lev feels like a better fit in PP1, let rinzel be QB on PP2 where bedard and Nazar are not there so rinzel gets more opportunities to use his talent and playmaking instead of trying to outshine the main guys
Keith came out of MSU too. Let’s go
I have always said a Right handed elite D is better and more valuable than a RW.
Arty will be fine, his celebrations when he’s on the ice when they score is such a delight to see.
Him jumping up and down when Mikheyev scored was so funny.
levshunov is sutch a raw skilled player thats played in 4 different leagues in 4 years since coming to the united states thats a very rare thing for anyplayer to do and have success. hes never been able to get comfortable in a single league and develop so id imagine the more comfortable he gets the better he will play and the skys the limit.
You're spitting facts dude
Good video from the Grasser. The Rinkside General is wrong. You say that there is a window for an offensive dynamo defenseman that the Hawks are still lacking. I'd argue that even if they are lacking that, they don't need it to be a Stanley Cup Champion. 2 way suffocating defensemen win in the playoffs. Not purely offensive dynamos. Did the Hawks dynasty have an offensive dynamo? No. Keith was a monster 2 way dman. Did the Pittsburgh Penguins cup teams? No, Letang was a good 2way dman in his prime. Did the Kings? No. Doughty was a great 2way dman in his prime. Did Tampa's cup teams? No. Hedman was a monster 2way dman in his prime. Did Florida's cup teams? No. They have Forsling and Ekblad, great 2way dmen.