This season should give the Blackhawks a clearer sense of what they really have in young defenseman Artyom Levshunov than last season did.
That process began Wednesday, the first day of Hawks rookie camp, and should continue into the regular season, with an opening-night roster spot very much available for Levshunov to earn.
At this time last year, Levshunov — the No. 2 pick in the 2024 draft — was sidelined by a fracture in his right foot, which cost him what would have been valuable developmental time during Hawks training camp, as well as the beginning of Rockford’s AHL season.
He still developed and improved substantially from late October to April over the course of 52 AHL and 18 NHL appearances, but he did so in a chaotic, inconsistent way, with him playing catch-up from the start. During his springtime stint with the Hawks, his natural talent and raw, erratic decision-making were both on vivid display.
Levshunov said Wednesday he thinks he’s more prepared entering this fall, with his 20th birthday just around the corner.
‘‘I feel great,’’ he said. ‘‘I feel way more comfortable, for sure, than I was [in] my first year.’’
Levshunov spent this summer working with his longtime Belarusian trainer, Kirill Metlyuk, and a group of Russian NHL and former NHL players, including Hawks forward Ilya Mikheyev, at a rink in Pompano Beach, Florida.
In addition to enjoying the Florida heat and attending Inter Miami soccer games, the group spent four to five days a week on the ice, and Metlyuk saw sizable growth in Levshunov’s game. He stressed Levshunov is ‘‘mentally ready’’ for the toughest league in the world now.
‘‘You have to find the key for the player, and when I found the key for him, the work [got] more easy,’’ Metlyuk said. ‘‘He started listening. Every practice, he was full focus.’’
They reviewed video of Levshunov’s up-and-down NHL performances last season and discussed how he can fit cohesively into the Hawks’ defensive structure.
‘‘He understands [now] how to play better [in his] position,’’ Metlyuk said. ‘‘Because in the NHL, they have a system. It’s so important, especially in the faceoff zone. He sometimes made mistakes with that. We worked on that. He should be good with that.
‘‘He shouldn’t be unpredictable. He’s controlling everything. When he’s playing [with] full focus, he’s unstoppable.’’
Mikheyev’s presence also will be valuable because he was able to correct Levshunov’s mistakes in practice and translate English sentences into Russian, when necessary, for him last spring.
Levshunov and Metlyuk also worked on his strength in board battles, his aforementioned decision-making and — most of all — his skating, making tweaks such as lengthening his stride. His effortless-looking speed and explosiveness always have been assets, but he did appear particularly agile in practice Wednesday.
It’ll be more telling how he looks this weekend in the Tom Kurvers Showcase in Minnesota, with the Hawks’ prospect team — headlined by Levshunov, Sam Rinzel, Oliver Moore, Ryan Greene, Nick Lardis and Marek Vanacker — scheduled to face the Blues’ prospects Saturday and the Wild’s prospects Sunday.
Standouts at the first practice of Blackhawks rookie camp were mostly the guys you’d expect.
Levshunov looked good. Lardis is such a slick finisher. Moore is everywhere, but looked a little rusty. Pridham continues to look like a possible gem IMO.
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) September 10, 2025
New Rockford coach Jared Nightingale said Levshunov ‘‘looked great in practice’’ and will play ‘‘big minutes’’ in the showcase, but he also offered a word of caution.
‘‘I always tell our [defensemen]: ‘Don’t try to look sexy every shift. It’s good to not get noticed. Make the play that’s ahead of you,’ ’’ Nightingale said.
Main training camp opens next Thursday. A solid rapport with new Hawks coach Jeff Blashill and a fully healthy September would allow Levshunov to enter this crucial season with steadier footing.
‘‘Maybe sometimes he’s scared to make mistakes during the games, but when he’s feeling great because he got good preseason work, he’s going to be ready,’’ Metlyuk said. ‘‘This season, if he plays the full season, you’re going to see he’s a different player.’’