Blackhawks’ Matt Grzelcyk, Artyom Levshunov Done For Season
Blackhawks defenders Matt Grzelcyk and Artyom Levshunov will not play again this season due to their respective upper-body injury and hand fracture, head coach Jeff Blashill told reporters Tuesday (including Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times).
Grzelcyk, 32, hasn’t played since March 22 against the Flames and has already missed the Hawks’ last four games. He left quite early in that contest, potentially the last of his Blackhawks tenure.
Despite coming off a career-high 40 points with the Penguins last season, Grzelcyk didn’t land a guaranteed deal for this year until agreeing to a $1MM pact with Chicago on Oct. 5. Coming to the Blackhawks off a professional tryout, he ends his 2025-26 campaign with just 12 assists and a -9 rating in 69 games. His ice time average was way down at 16:58 per game, his lowest since his rookie year with the Bruins back in 2017-18.
Those numbers don’t tell the whole story, though. No Blackhawks defenseman has been stronger in the puck possession department this season than Grzelcyk. His 46.9% Corsi share and 45.7% expected goals share don’t look intriguing at face value, but sit first and second on the team at 5-on-5, respectively, per Natural Stat Trick, and the only defender with a better xGF% is Connor Murphy, who was shipped to the Oilers before the trade deadline. Grzelcyk did start 54.6% of his shifts in the offensive zone – definitely some advantageous deployment.
With even more young Hawks defenders pushing for full-time roles next season, namely Ethan Del Mastro and Kevin Korchinski, it’s hard to see a reunion happening. Grzelcyk is likely ticketed for his third trip through unrestricted free agency in as many years.
Levshunov, though, will almost definitely be back in a Blackhawks uniform next season, barring a blockbuster deal. The 2024 second overall pick is coming off his first full season of NHL hockey. The results weren’t spectacular. His growing pains were quite reminiscent of Korchinki’s rushed rookie season back in 2023-24, although he did look far more comfortable offensively than his older counterpart.
After sustaining the hand fracture last Friday against the Rangers, Levshunov’s year ends with 22 assists and 24 points in 68 games with a -41 rating that could end up as a league-worst. Averaging 19:35 of ice time per game, that rating came despite Levshunov being their most sheltered defenseman at 5-on-5 with a 65.5% offensive zone start rate.
Some of that can be attributed to goaltending. No Blackhawks defenseman received less support behind him this year than Levshunov, who ends up with a .895 on-ice save percentage at 5-on-5 with a .976 PDO. Still, his possession numbers were downright ugly considering the sheltering he received, and he’ll end his season with only 11 power-play points despite anchoring the top unit.
There’s certainly some more growth needed before he’s ready to sniff top-four minutes again, at least if Chicago has designs on contending for a playoff spot next season. Whether they’ll be aggressive in trying to acquire some higher-quality veteran stopgaps than they have in years past or just let their kids ride out their growing pains remains to be seen.
Blackhawks’ Artyom Levshunov Suffers Hand Fracture
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Artyom Levshunov sustained a fracture in his left hand last Tuesday against the Islanders and played through it in the two games since, reported by Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Requiring further evaluation, he’s now set to depart the lineup starting tonight against New Jersey. Kevin Korchinski will fill in after he was recalled this morning.
With just nine games left on the schedule, it’s unclear how long Levshunov could be out, and if his season has come to an end. With no drop in usage since the injury, it’s unexpected news, however the last few games playing unhealthy haven’t necessarily been kind to the youngster who has been a -5 since the Islanders contest.
It has been a tough campaign for the 2024 second overall pick. Still at just 20-years-old, he has been thrown into the fire as a top defender, currently ranking third on the team in ice time at 19:35 a night. The Blackhawks have showcased progression this season, but the results still aren’t pretty. Levshunov’s -41 ranks dead last in the league, with a sub-par 45% corsi for at five-on-five.
In more encouraging news, Levshunov has posted 24 points, his offensive ability on display as he gels with the team’s skilled young core. There have been bright spots in his heavy usage, mostly on the power play, amidst the growing pains.
The 6’2” righty absolutely has top pairing upside, and facing a difficult learning curve is common for such defensive prospects. Doing so on a bottom-ranked team doesn’t do any favors, either. However, it may be time for Chicago to reevaluate their development plans for Levshunov, giving him a bit more shelter.
Holding the most cap space in the entire league, the Blackhawks would benefit from adding an experienced top four-capable defenseman this summer to help out their extremely young blueline. Even if done so in another cap-casualty type trade which netted them more assets, as opposed to an aggressive big free agency ticket, it would be similar to how the additions of 31-year-olds Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teräväinen have paid dividends up front.
Regardless, even if his 2025-26 has come to an untimely end, it may be best to simply take the time to get healthy. Looking ahead to a fresh start next fall and building off his 86 games of learning so far, Chicago doesn’t have much at stake in April to rush Levshunov back for.
West Notes: Levshunov, Foligno, Boeser
According to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Chicago Blackhawks have healthy-scratched defenseman Artyom Levshunov tonight. Pope added that the Blackhawks have put Levshunov into an internal program to fix some “foundational” parts of his game, and he likely wouldn’t play until the league resumes after the Olympics.
Scott Powers of The Athletic added some specifics, reporting that the Blackhawks wanted Levshunov to focus on his play with the puck, defensive fundamentals, and shooting technique. Rather than move Levshunov to the AHL, as they did with fellow prospect Kevin Korchinski, Chicago hopes that their current skills coaches can correct some of Levshunov’s flaws.
Levshunov is having a significantly better season than last year, but he still hasn’t met the Blackhawks’ expectations after being selected with the second overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. He is the team leader in scoring among defensemen, with two goals and 21 points in 52 games. His even-strength Corsi For percentage stands at 47.4%, and he has an on-ice save percentage of 88.3%, along with a -27 rating.
Other notes from the Western Conference:
- Staying in Chicago, the team is without their captain tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Before tonight’s lone NHL contest, Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio reported that Nick Foligno is considered day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. The 38-year-old veteran has played in 17 games for the Blackhawks since returning from a longer-term injury in late December, scoring two goals and four points.
- Moving further west, there is a possibility that Brock Boeser will return to the Vancouver Canucks’ lineup during their upcoming roadtrip. According to Jeff Paterson of Canucks Army, Boeser will join the Canucks when they travel to Utah and Las Vegas. Still, it’s far likelier that Vancouver will hold Boeser out through the Olympic break as he recovers from an upper-body injury that warranted a suspension to Pittsburgh Penguins’ forward Bryan Rust.
Minor Transactions: 4/16/25
The NHL season has come to an end, or soon will, for teams around the league that missed out on this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs. That fact has driven many to begin the process of assigning their waiver-exempt players to more successful teams in the minor leagues. We’ll cover the bulk of those assignments here:
- In a rare move with playoff implications, the St. Louis Blues have assigned top forward prospect Dalibor Dvorsky to the minor leagues. Dvorsky hasn’t played since April 9th, when he made his second career appearance in the NHL. He has no points and an average of nine minutes in ice time over his first two games. This move will return him to a star role in the minor leagues, where his 20 goals and 44 points in 59 games rank third and fourth on the Springfield Thunderbirds respectively. Springfield have squeaked into the Calder Cup playoffs with 74 points in 70 games this season. Dvorsky will be a major boost to their postseason roster, unless the Blues opt to include him in their inevitable wave of Black Ace recalls.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have assigned top defense prospects Kevin Korchinski and Artyom Levshunov to the AHL after the end of their season, per a release from the Rockford IceHogs. Both players have manned dominant roles in the IceHogs lineup this season – Korchinski looking to find his comfort after a hard NHL role last season, and Levshunov looking to vindicate his second-overall selection in last year’s draft. They lead the Rockford blue-line in scoring, with Korchinski netting 27 points in 54 games and Levshunov scoring 22 points in 50 games. Levshunov proved the more productive in all three zones at the NHL level. He recorded six assists, eight penalty minutes, and a minus-13 in his first 18 games in the NHL. Korchisnki only scored two points in 16 NHL games this season, though his minus-five was the fourth-best on the Chicago defense. The duo will offer a well-rounded impact to Rockford’s playoff push – Korchinski bringing strong offense and Levshunov showing strong two-way play.
- The San Jose Sharks have assigned defenseman Luca Cagnoni back to the minor leagues after recalling him to play in their latest game, per Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group. Cagnoni recorded an assist and two penalties in roughly 18 minutes of Monday’s overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks. The score was his second assist in six NHL games this season, on top of eight penalty minutes and a minus-four. Cagnoni was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team on Wednesday – high praise after he led all rookie defensemen in scoring with 14 goals and 49 points in 62 games this season. Cagnoni had a breakout season in his first professional campaign, and already seems to be outperforming his fourth-round selection in the 2023 NHL Draft. He will look to keep a good year going as the San Jose Barracuda prepare for a playoff push.
- Winger Kailer Yamamoto represents the first veteran on this list. He’s headed back to the Tucson Roadrunners alongside goaltender Matt Villalta, after the end of the Utah Hockey Club’s inaugural season, per Cole Bagley of KSL Sports. Yamamoto has been a force in the minor leagues. He leads Tucson in scoring this season with 53 points in 52 games. It’s been a valiant performance that earned the depth forward 12 appearances in the NHL. He scored three points in those games. Villalta has stood tall as Tucson’s starting goaltender as well, with a team-leading .906 save percentage in 41 games this season. He played in just the third NHL game of his career this season and recorded a win, with 28 saves on 31 shots. Yamamoto will return to Tucson’s top-line, while Villalta will likely return to the starter’s role ahead of Jaxson Stauber.
- The Nashville Predators have assigned Ryan Ufko back to the minor leagues, per Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean. Ufko made his NHL debut on Monday. He didn’t manage any notable stat changes in 15:37 of ice time. Ufko has emerged as a top-four defender for the Milwaukee Admirals this season. His eight goals and 29 points in 71 games lead the Admirals blue-line in scoring. Ufko is still rounding out the physical and two-way aspects of his game, but his emergence as an AHL rookie has proven promising on a Preadtors team well capable of honing defenders into NHL talents.
Blackhawks’ Artyom Levshunov Recalled, Expected To Make NHL Debut
The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled top prospect Artyom Levshunov to the NHL roster. This marks the second call-up of the 2024 second-overall pick’s young career. He is expected to immediately step into the Hawks lineup, per Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Levshunov’s last call-up came on February 3rd, in the days leading up to Chicago’s two-week break for the 4-Nations Face-Off. He stuck around the NHL roster for two days worth of practices, but was returned to the minor leagues before he had a chance to break into the Blackhawks lineup. Levshunov has nine points in 12 AHL games since being reassigned – a major uptick on his 13 points in 38 games prior. With 22 points in 50 games across the full season, Levshunov ranks ninth among AHL rookie defensemen in scoring.
The Blackhawks controversially opted for Levshunov’s stout defense over the dynamic scoring of winger Ivan Demidov and the physical presence of center Cayden Lindstrom with their top pick in last year’s draft. The decision came after Levshunov fought his way into the role of number-one defenseman for the Big Ten’s Michigan State University, after transferring from the USHL to college hockey late into the 2023 summer. The quick move was just one year after Levshunov moved from Belarus’ juniors league to the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers. He adjusted quickly to both junior hockey and collegiate hockey – and now seems to be bringing along his scoring at a pro level too.
Chicago will get a chance to bank on Levshunov’s hot streak with this recall. The Blackhawks have a glaring hole on right-defense after trading star defender Seth Jones ahead of the Trade Deadline. Jones’ minutes have been filled by Louis Crevier and Connor Murphy in the immediate wake of the deal, but have allowed an average of 37 shots-against in their four games since the Jones trade. That’s a ton of pressure for new acquisition Spencer Knight in net, and while he’s handled it well – finding a way to stop up the barrage of shots will be a top priority for Chicago’s remaining season. The stout two-way play of Levshunov could be exactly what Chicago needs, and gives the Blackhawks an even better chance to lean into their future amidst a punted season.
Blackhawks Recall Artyom Levshunov, Place Louis Crevier On Injured Reserve
The second-overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft is set to join the Blackhawks for the first time. Chicago announced they’ve recalled defenseman Artyom Levshunov from their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, and have placed defenseman Louis Crevier on injured reserve in a corresponding transaction.
Levshunov was the undisputed top defensive prospect entering last summer’s draft. The Michigan State University product scored nine goals and 35 points in 38 games in his only year with the Spartans leading to a bevy of individual rewards. The Zhlobin, Belarus native secured bids on the All-Big Ten First Teams and All-Big Ten Freshman Teams, was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and was named to the AHCA West Second All-American Team.
His size and explosive skating ability already made him an intriguing defensive prospect to start but his ability to be an offensive threat put him in a different category altogether. Shortly before the start of training camp, Tracey Myers of the NHL listed Levshunov as the top prospect in the Blackhawks’ organization.
Initially, his transition to professional hockey has been challenging. Levshunov decided to skip his sophomore season at Michigan State to pursue a professional career, and the Chicago organization insisted that he begin the year in the AHL. This approach is consistent with their new strategy for other top prospects, as they avoid rushing players too quickly into the NHL.
Still, he’s not expected to play in any games for the Blackhawks before their break for the 4 Nations Face-Off. Tracey Myers reported that Levshunov’s recall is for development purposes only, and he’ll only practice with the team while the AHL is on their All-Star break.
He has scored three goals and a total of 13 points in 38 games for Rockford this season, which places him tied for 13th among rookie defensemen in scoring. Although Chicago was likely expecting more offensive production from their young defenseman, they will have the opportunity to evaluate him more closely in the NHL during practice.
Unfortunately, Levshunov’s recall comes with bad news. Reports indicate that Crevier suffered a concussion during the recent game against the Florida Panthers, resulting in his placement on injured reserve.
Crevier may not have the same prospect pedigree as Levshunov, but he came very close to reaching his career-high for games played in a single season, getting hurt just two games short. This year, he has scored three goals and one assist in 23 games with the Blackhawks, averaging 17 minutes and 48 seconds of ice time per game.
Blackhawks Activate, Reassign Artyom Levshunov
The Blackhawks have taken 2024 second-overall pick Artyom Levshunov off of season-opening injured reserve and assigned him to AHL Rockford, per a team release today. The move signals that he’s ready to return from a right foot injury that kept him out of rookie camp, preseason, and the first two weeks of the regular season.
Levshunov, 19 next week, should get a fair amount of runway with the IceHogs before being considered for NHL minutes – if he’s called up at all this season. The Belarus native did dominate the collegiate ranks last season, posting 35 points and a +27 rating in 38 games with Michigan State. That performance earned him multiple Big 10 honors, including an All-Rookie Team nod, the Defensive Player of the Year award, as well as Rookie of the Year. He was the Spartans’ nominee for the NCAA-wide Hobey Baker Award for the top collegiate player, and his freshman year showing helped Michigan win the Big 10 regular season title and the tournament championship.
Jumping from USHL to NCAA directly to NHL play is a tall task for anyone, though, especially for a teenage defenseman. Plopping him into a still-rebuilding environment likely isn’t the best thing for his development, and it’s unlikely the Blackhawks’ front office envisions doing so. They’ve been tentative with their defense prospects in recent years and making efforts to shield them from tough NHL minutes before they’re ready, including sending recent top-10 pick Kevin Korchinski down to Rockford after he spent all of last year on the Blackhawks roster.
If Levshunov fails to play 10 NHL games this season, his entry-level contract will slide to the 2025-26 campaign.
Laurent Brossoit, Artyom Levshunov, Wyatt Kaiser To Begin Season On IR
The Blackhawks released to reporters yesterday that, as expected, goaltender Laurent Brossoit and defensemen Artyom Levshunov and Wyatt Kaiser will all begin the regular season on injured reserve. Mario Tirabassi of CHGO Sports relayed the news.
There’s still no specific timeline for a return for Kaiser, the only one of the group placed on standard IR. The placement, which is due to illness, is retroactive to Sep. 19, Tirabassi relayed. That was the first day of Chicago’s training camp, which Kaiser has yet to be a full participant in. Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reported earlier in the week that pre-camp testing flagged an undisclosed concern with Kaiser’s health that was invasive in nature, but that he’d since been cleared. He’s still ramping up to game speed, though, and won’t be ready for their season opener in Utah on Oct. 8.
Kaiser shouldn’t miss too much more time after that, though. That’s good news for the Hawks, who are hoping to work the 22-year-old into more regular minutes this season. A third-round pick in 2020, he split last year relatively evenly between Chicago and AHL Rockford. He looked like he’d taken a step forward in his NHL appearances, though, posting seven assists and an even rating in 32 games. Averaging 17:19 per game, they certainly could’ve gotten worse out of a young defender on a rebuilding squad.
Meanwhile, Brossoit and Levshunov are beginning the season on the non-roster list, which is no surprise. Both sustained knee and foot injuries, respectively, late in the offseason that the team said would keep them out of training camp and plunge their regular season opener availability into doubt. Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson did say Thursday that Brossoit is on track to return sometime during their season-opening road trip, though, so he’ll likely be added to the roster by the end of next weekend.
The 31-year-old will serve as a far more formidable backup to Petr Mrázek this year after logging a sparkling .927 SV% over the past two years in limited usage with the Golden Knights and Jets. That’s a massive step up on the level of play provided by 25-year-old Arvid Söderblom last year, who posted a .879 SV% and 3.92 GAA in 32 appearances behind Mrázek en route to carrying one of the worst stat lines in the NHL.
He or Kaiser will be the first one to return to action. Levshunov’s season debut, whether it comes with Chicago or Rockford, will need to wait until mid-to-late October. Hawks general manager Kyle Davidson said on Sep. 20 that the 2024 second-overall pick was still four weeks away from returning to game action after taking a puck to the foot in rookie camp. Levshunov, 19 later this month, had 35 points and a +27 rating in 38 games for Michigan State last year as a freshman before promptly signing his entry-level contract after being drafted by Chicago.
Blackhawks Notes: Levshunov, Brossoit, Reichel
Ben Pope of The Chicago Sun-Times tweeted that Chicago Blackhawks defensive prospect Artyom Levshunov is about four weeks away from returning to action. This year’s second overall pick hurt his right foot blocking a shot on September 11th but could start skating again in a week or so if all goes well between now and then.
The 18-year-old missed the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase last week and will miss the start of the season given the most recent timeline. He was already a long shot to make the Blackhawks NHL roster and will almost certainly start the season with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs, given the injury.
In other Blackhawks notes:
- Blackhawks netminder Laurent Brossoit is reportedly on a similar timeline to Levshunov and isn’t expected to get back into the lineup for another four weeks (as per Ben Pop of the Chicago Sun-Times). Broissoit underwent meniscus surgery on his right knee in late August and was expected to recover in 5-7 weeks. The 31-year-old was rock solid as the Winnipeg Jets backup last season, posting a 15-5-2 record with a .927 save percentage. Given the timeline, Broissoit will likely miss the first week or two of the regular season.
- Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson expects that forward Lukas Reichel will compete for a top-six spot this season (as per Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago). Davidson told reporters that the team doesn’t want the 22-year-old playing fourth-line minutes this season and would like to see him figure out a way to cement himself on the top two lines. Reichel has had an uneven start to his NHL career notching 15 points in 23 games during an abbreviated run in 2022-23 but watched his offensive numbers fall off a cliff during his first full NHL season last year. The Nurnberg, Germany native posted just five goals and 11 assists in 65 games last season but still demonstrated the solid skating and strong hockey sense that made him the 17th overall pick in 2020.
Artyom Levshunov Could Miss Start Of Regular Season
Blackhawks top defense prospect Artyom Levshunov could miss up to six weeks with a foot injury sustained earlier this month, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on today’s “32 Thoughts” podcast. That would sideline him for the entire training camp and potentially cost him some time at the beginning of the regular season.
Friedman said earlier in the week that Levshunov would miss some time after taking a puck to the foot, but there wasn’t much concern about the severity. He added today that the 2024 No. 2 overall pick will spend at least the next two weeks in a walking boot.
It was far from a guarantee that Levshunov would make the opening night roster. If he misses all of camp, that’s almost a surefire sign he’ll be sent to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs to make his professional debut when he’s ready to play. The 6’2″ right-shot defenseman turns 19 next month and is coming off a spectacular one-and-done showing for Michigan State, leading their blue line with 35 points (9 G, 26 A) in 38 games with a team-high +27 rating. He was named the Big 10’s Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year.
However, Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson wants to give his defense prospects room to breathe in Rockford, signing veterans T.J. Brodie and Alec Martinez in free agency to create increased competition for spots among up-and-comers. Levshunov likely had the most accessible pathway to a roster spot as a right-shot D-man, though. Chicago’s other question marks – Wyatt Kaiser, Kevin Korchinski, and Isaak Phillips – are all lefties.
If Levshunov is out for the full six weeks, his season debut would be in late October. He can play up to nine NHL games this season before his entry-level contract goes into effect.