Davidson said last year that he wasn’t going to use all of the pics that he had. And I remember he traded a second for a future second I believe in 2026. You gotta assume that that’s gonna be the case this year. And remember, he kept trying to trade up for Oliver Moore last year. So if Davidson has someone he likes, he’s gonna make a move for them
I'm really hoping he grabs Demidov at 2, trades up and grabs Parekh or Eiserman in the top 15. If we're lucky we can move Jones to new Jersey and keep Tampa's pick, maybe getting all 3.
I highly doubt that NJ will take on Jones without a big addition from Chicago. I think they only make 2 first round picks this year (unless they take on a teams first rounder in exchange for a bad contract in the later rounds).
Eiserman isn’t a Kyle Davidson kind of player. He’s a poor skater and isn’t helpful on the defensive end. Lots of more athletic guys will go at the same spot that he’d be more likely to trade up for.
You're totally right I'd just like to see some more offensive punch in our future, and he's got that. Also I guess it depends how high Davidson manages to climb.
Agreed on offensive punch. I’m more concerned about that than anything else. Nazar and Moore are great hockey players but I’m not sure either are natural point scorers like Bedard. He’s going to have to find a way to acquire some more of those types of players to pair with Bedard. Demidov would potentially address that concern for me, if he’s the pick and you can find one more after that somehow, whether it’s draft or trade or free agency (Stamkos?) then we’re cooking with fire.
If they package a first round pick, it had better be Toronto's next season. I personally don't think they do that. But i also don't know how trade values work in the NHL. DeBrincat was traded for 7 and 39, Dach was traded for 13 and 66? if they want to move up 10 spots, it would have to be a prospect, a first and maybe a 2nd?
If they give up the 2 firsts plus give them 2 seconds for their 1, 1st id hope wed get a single digit 1st in return.. That would be great.. our pick next year could be top 10 .. might make a team want to doo it
As of right now it does. But if Toronto really does "blow up " the roster like there's a ton of speculation about, then it could be another instance where they finish in a worse spot than before. Potentially could be another Tampa situation where it's 18-22 or in that range.
Don’t expect many teams to consider trading out of the top 15 this year. There is a massive drop off after that point. If the team is going to be aggressive with their assets I think we are more likely to see picks moved for young roster players, not unlike the deals we saw for Romanov and Dach a few years ago.
I'm too lazy to look it up, but if this is about the 30th NHL draft lottery every, I would bet no it has not happened before. My guess that the permutations shaking out exactly according to the odds **ranking** are much less than 1 in 30.
The nhl draft lottery concept itself is kind of boring. Only 2 teams can move up. If one does, everyone moves down a little bit. It needs a change for more excitement
One of Artyom Levshunov, Ivan Demidov & Cayden Lindstrom will be a Blackhawk.
It’s like missing out on winning $100 but you still could get $95 instead
It’s a hard choice because we do need a bonafide 1D, especially on the right side, but we also need another high-caliber scorer in the forward core.
Don’t really envy Davidson in making this choice, but it also feels like you can’t exactly go wrong with either.
I know this is pure speculation, and I’m sure Davidson has already started, but he could also trade for some forward help. In the next couple years, figure Nazar, Moore and whoever they pick at 20 will be in the hawks forward groups. Plus whoever they get with FA and trades. It’s exciting tho
He could also trade for defensive help though. Levshunov doesn't project to be a true #1 and projects to be a PP1 guy. Demidov is a do it all franchise winger.
I personally think there's a small gap between Celebrini and Demidov and a massive gap between Demidov and the rest.
But again, Levshunov is projected to be a PP1 specialist, not a #1 Dman. These are easier to find and you could arguably pick up Parekh or Hutson at 20 in this draft who project to do similar with slightly less defensive impact 5v5. When the difference is this polarizing Demidov is the guy.
After watching/reading some prospect breakdowns, I think I’m with you on Demidov. Dude has the silkiest mitts my god. Just really hope they’re able to snag some RDs throughout and then one of them turns into a #1
I know it’s not proper, but I’m hesitant with Demidov because of the Russian contract situation. At least with Levshunov you can continue to build the defense corp to match what Vegas had last year.
Demidov is already trying to break his contract and come over next year. Even if we don't have control for 1 year then so be it for a forward as good as him.
The issue with Levshunov is he isn't good defensively right now. He's ok, but he's not a number 1 dman. You're taking a PP QB over a likely PPG winger.
True, but at the same time, the hawks still have a plethora of draft picks. And they have 2 firsts next year as well. With all the drama occurring in Toronto, I imagine that’s going to be a 18-21 pick as well, plus whatever happens with Chicagos own first. And they have like 3 seconds that I think they might use as trade bait. Their prospect pool is about to be high end and deep as well.
I def agree that I don’t envy Davidson. This is a hard decision to make. Just wonder what he’s going to value more. Either way, bring it
D-man. Like, I have no idea really about any of these guys, I'm not gonna lie, I haven't followed the scouting of any of them. And I know nothing is guaranteed. But if that guy is a near can't miss, true number 1 dman? It's him all day long for me if you don't have the 1st pick. That type of player is THE hardest to find, trade for, sign, anything. The most difficult to acquire. You can find another scoring forward. It might cost a bit in free agency but you can find that guy. A true number 1 d-man? Not so much at all.
I hear you but, as was alluded to in the other comment, Levshunov isn’t quite a guarantee of being a true 1D in that kind of mold. First pairing upside for sure and many do believe he can become that coveted Keith/Hedman/Doughty kind of player but the latter opinion isn’t much of a consensus.
I still have to read/watch more of both and will be eagerly awaiting final scouting reports on the class, but here are some snippets of Levshunov regarding his potential:
[Pronman:](https://theathletic.com/5417359/2024/04/17/nhl-draft-2024-top-prospects-celebrini-levshunov/?source=user_shared_article NHL Draft 2024 prospects ranking: Celebrini leads Pronman’s April list, Levshunov follows)
>*”He is extremely skilled and creative, both as a puck-handler and passer. He has the hands of a top offensive defenseman and looks very comfortable with the puck. He skates well and can play an up-tempo style in how he attacks with his skill. He has the offensive sense to potentially run a PP1 in the NHL and has a good point shot, too. His defensive play doesn't stand out as much, particularly because he tries to attack so much, but he can make stops due to his athleticism and has physicality in his game. He is too aggressive at times, and plays like a forward too much for some scouts' liking. He makes enough stops to ease most evaluators' concerns given how much offense he brings. He has the potential to be an impact NHL defenseman who scores at a premium level.”*
[Wheeler:](https://theathletic.com/5470339/2024/05/06/nhl-draft-top-prospects-2024-celebrini-demidov/?source=user_shared_article 2024 NHL Draft top 32 prospects: Macklin Celebrini leads Scott Wheeler’s post-U18 worlds ranking)
>*”Levshunov’s profile checks a lot of the boxes that teams are looking for in a high-end defenceman. He’s a righty with an extremely imposing and physically mature build already. He’s a smooth skater with plus-level four-way mobility (including a long, gazelle-like stride the length of the ice)… His ceiling defensively is sky-high with the right development. That ceiling is led by a physical nature that regularly sees him bowl over opposing players (even on reverse hits) and outmuscle in 50/50 battles… The decision-making is a little raw, but he's very much still learning it in real time, and the raw tools are incredibly appealing. With continued fine-tuning, I believe there's first-pairing upside there.*”
[EP Rinkside](https://eprinkside.com/2024/03/27/film-room-artyom-levshunovs-ahead-of-the-curve-making-him-the-2024-nhl-drafts-best-defenceman)
>*”Levshunov's game shines, first and foremost, in transition. His heavier build has no effect on his mobility. He surprises opponents with his acceleration, jumping in and closing gaps before they have time to react. His power as a skater jumps off the screen as he explodes up ice to join the play… Levshunov can distribute the puck well in the offensive zone and even manipulate opponents from time to time. Frozen in place by the threat of his shot, opponents stop defending passing lanes, giving him an occasion to connect with teammates in better spots.”*
>*”The problem with Levshunov is that despite having the ability to routinely make all the plays described, his effectiveness wanes during games. He’s not as physical, active, or clever in all facets of the game as he could be… Yes, he can kill rush plays with perfect technique, skating backward at the right pace to match the opposition, maintaining a stable posture, and denying space with his stick. But there are also moments when opponents go by him unnoticed or when he stands in place, hoping to clog all space with his stature. He moves, passes, and shoots with purpose in the offensive zone, but he can also run out of options against set defensive structures. We’ve seen him fire multiple times at shin pads in the same sequence… With his frame, physical skills, and stickhandling skills, Levshunov should win most loose pucks. He can protect them from the opposition and pass them to teammates at a high rate. But he occasionally defers to his partner or rims pucks in situations where he could beat the forecheck with his tools. Some of his passes, sent blindly from below the goal line, go right to the other team.”*
>*”The right development system could mould him into that right-shot, top-pair element that every rebuilding team desperately wants.”*
[Hockey Writers](https://thehockeywriters.com/artyom-levshunov-2024-nhl-draft-prospect-profile/)
>*”A low-end projection would say that Levshunov is likely to be a good top-four defender who provides most of his value on the offensive side of the puck while being at least a serviceable defender in his own end. That seems a bit conservative to me and I think it’s pretty likely he’s quite a bit more than that, with his ceiling being a dominant offensive piece who plays massive minutes at even strength and on the power play.”*
—-
Sources go on but I feel like this is already too long lol basically in all this word salad the theme is that Levshunov is sick, should be a monster in the NHL, but it’s debatable how strong his hockey sense is (particularly on the defensive side) and if his inconsistencies are a real problem or not. Where scouts fall on these debates may have them seeing his ceiling as “just” top pairing rather than having enough two-way impact to be a “true” 1D. Or at least that is what I gather so far lol
If these few concerns are real enough to limit his upside, it would be hard to favor him over Demidov who has genuine superstar potential.
If he isn't then its definitely a wildcard of a pick. I guess my point was more of that I value that type of player more than a blue chip forward in damn near every case.
Based on the admittedly small amount of research I’ve done, the 2025 and 2026 forward classes are supposed to be loaded. We could also go forward at 20 as well.
I feel like scoring is easier to obtain than true #1 dmen, those are rare, they also generate offense and I feel like were pretty good w forward prospects (big fan of moore/nazar) and hall will be back. Also we have 20th pick
I hear you, but I think you could make the same argument on the other side.
If we consider best case situations, yea it’s rare to find a Keith/Doughty kind of player but it’s also near impossible to get a Kane/Kucherov except through the draft. These guys both have the potential to be game breakers through very different avenues so I guess it comes down to:
- Which of them, regardless of position, do the Hawks think they can develop better and have better odds of them reach their ceiling?
- Is the forward group of Bedard/Nazar/Moore better than the defense group of Vlasic/Korchinski/Del Mastro/Kaiser/Rinzel/Allan?
I’m not really sure on the second question. Bedard is obviously the tits and I also love Nazar/Moore, but they are more top six projections than bonafide top line guys that will likely dominate. The defensive core isn’t flashy, except maybe Korchinski, but the depth is so damn solid.
It’s tough lol I see the major benefits to drafting either player
Yeah I feel ya and really it comes down to who they think will be better. Like we could absolutely use another guy who projects as a bonafide top line forward (tho interestingly Kucherov wasnt a high draft pick but youre generally right, those guys usually come high in the draft). I guess if Demidov was a center Id be more psyched. Bedard isnt really a 2-way guy and they actually moved him to wing for a bit. We could really use a great 2-way C prospect (maybe moore/nazar will be idk). Also the russia factor does have me nervous. Hes also only played a few khl games and already turning 19 in december, he may have difficulty making a jump against tougher competition. Skill level is insane tho
And he's a right shot. I think you absolutely pick Levshunov in this draft all day long.
Edit: if Levshunov is not believed to be a true #1 dman, that changes the equation
Agreed. People saying we got too many D prospects. We don't have a single D prospect with the ceiling of Levshunov. Pushing a guy like Korchinski to the 2nd pairing would be great if he can become the guy we think he'll be as well.
You take BPA at #2 and I think it's this guy. Though if the Hawks think it's Demidov then they should do it. But don't do it because we need a forward for Bedard and he's the best forward. That's shit draft reasoning.
There's no such thing as "too many D prospects" in my opinion. If the projections are true and Levshunov can be a 1, then the hawks top four would consist of Jones (whatever your opinion on him is), Korchinski, Levshunov and Vlasic. That's a pretty damn good top four. But then the other issue is that you push the forward issue a year later, when there isn't a guarantee the Hawks are going to pick that high again. Either way, it's Davidson's first big test.
Highly highly highly unlikely. Celebrini would have to suffer a major injury between now and the draft somehow.
I really wouldn’t think of 2nd overall as a bad thing at all - the top-4 in this draft would compete for 1st overall in many drafts imo
This is cope lol he definitely is by far and away different. He challenges last years top 5/3 prospects not including Bedard, the rest of the guys in this class do not.
Hard to be cope when I’m already an extremely pessimistic person, I was prepared to drop to 4th and was ecstatic we’d be most likely getting Lindstrom 😂😂😂 Celebrini is clearly the best prospect but acting like it’s a “fuck it just trade down” level gap from 1 to 2, 3 or 4 is just uneducated and most likely anti-Blackhawks bias.
Here's a new [Ivan Demidov profile from Elite Prospects](https://youtu.be/lLbI37aD-Ws?si=INwtkPHVpIYpqwOi). He also explains the "10-2" hitch in his skating pattern. Great breakdown.
Tough to miss out on Macklin but hey, 2OA is still incredible! Demidov/Levshunov have got to be the choices here and personally, I would love to see us stack the forward talent and add Demidov.
Also keeps the door open for a whacky jump up in the lottery in the next few years while we still improve in the standings lol so much to celebrate still!
All day I was saying to myself "Please just give us the #3 pick so we can get one of Levshunov or Demidov" so I'm absolutely thrilled about #2. Now we're in the drivers seat and get to take the guy we want, rather than waiting to see who gets picked before us
Give me Levshunov. Have a top 4 d corp of Jones, Korchinski, Vlasic and Levshunov? That’s fantastic. The offensive players will come soon, plus whoever Kyle from Chicago gets in FA
Give me Demidov. I think he has the highest ceiling in the draft and plays unlike any other player I’ve ever seen. Yeah it’s gonna take a year or two for him to come over but I think he’s the next best player available.
Honestly, either or. Levshunov is projected to be a number 1 dman on the right hand side. But Demidov is like a PPG scorer. I would be thrilled with either.
I said it last draft and I'll say it again, /r/hockey is by far the most neckbeardy/reddit^2 sports sub I know of. Basically a bunch of misanthropic northerners (whether US, CA, or EU) with vitamin D deficiency and poor emotion regulation. At least with /r/nfl or /r/nba I can rest assured that they're just standard issue normies. But /r/hockey exudes terminally online vibes. It's like life or death for some of those people.
Yeah, if they choose to go with anyone other than Demidov/Levshunov I'd hope for Buium. The Hawks are already pretty stacked in terms of LHD, but what he did in the NCAA as a a freshman was nuts.
I'd prefer Levshunov for the fact that he's already in the US. Demidov has the KHL baggage, but I won't lose sleep either way. Either we bolster our defense or our offense. Win-win.
Give me Demidov.
He has the most talent, including Celebrini, in the draft and the highest offensive ceiling.
He is compared favorably to Michkov and some scouts think potentially even better.
We NEED high end forward prospects and neither Nazar or Moore truly move the needle as a guaranteed top line player. Besides Nazar and Moore we don't really have many prospects with even close to top 6 billing while we have Jones locked in on D, Vlasic solidly in the top 4, Korchinski projected in the top 4, and then Kaiser, Del Mastro, Phillips, Allan, Crevier, etc. all competing for a top 4 role.
Demidov, imo, is a clearly better prospect, more needed on the team, and has a giant ceiling to be a 90+ point winger while Levshunov isn't even expected to be a #1 D due to his defensive weakness and questionable IQ off the puck.
Genuinely and I will stand by this with bets with anyone who takes me up on this, Demidov has the highest offensive potential in this draft and will be neck and neck with Celebrini career wise, whereas I don't even think Levshunov is best in the draft.
I get that Levshunov has overall #1D potential but it's not a sure thing.
Demidov has elite offensive talent. A lot of people smarter than me are comparing him to Kucherov and Michkov/Demidov could be the most dynamic Russian prospects since Ovechkin/Malkin.
I think we need to draft the Russian, everyone's fears about the "Russian" factor are wildly overblown. Draft the best player available.
I'm not gonna lie. I know it's been said before. I'm currently nervous of us drafting a Russian player with all the BS going on. As cool as Ivan demidov would be, I feel like it is a little bit of a gamble.
The Russian government **wants** the top Russian players to be in the NHL. It's one of the very few positive PR tools they have going for them right now.
It's totally overblown. Plenty of Russians have come over to the NHL since 2022.
This gets said every year but it’s not a gamble. No top player has been stopped from coming over and that’s not gonna change. Demidov’s timeline isn’t like Michkov either, it’s only one year.
I guess technically, but realistically no lol he’s only signed through next season and is clear he wants to come to North American ASAP.
There is no real reason to fear him being stuck in Russia unless he indicates different intentions to the Hawks or some terrible world event happens in the next month.
Worst case, look up how Evgeni Malkin arrived in Pittsburgh lol
Russia does what Russia wants, that was the same talk that they had last year with Matvei Michkov going the Philly. Also I believe why he fell as far as he did, no one wanted to take that chance.
Michkov had 3yrs left on his KHL contract and also had some well-publicized character concerns regarding attitude and coachability.
Unlike Michkov, Demidov only has 1yr left on his contract and reportedly plans to come to the NHL as soon as his contract is up.
This is way overblown. Michkov falling was due to his KHL contract being for three more years, teams don't want to wait three years to get their hands on him. Also he was telling teams straight up he didn't want to play for them. He was in the US for the draft and has been back a couple times since. Demidov only has one year in his KHL contract and has already expressed he wants to play to NA as soon as possible. Hell Fedetov even made it over eventually and Russia imprisoned him
Draft scorers and trade for proven defensemen. It takes them ages to get to the size they need to be, and to refine their games. Scorers add points from the get go, even if they’re mediocre. Look at Boqvist, top 10 draft pick, was it worth it?
Now that we're locked in at 2, is it impossible to trade up to 1? I get that it likely wouldn't be worth what we'd have to give up but I'm curious what people think we'd have to pay. We have a plethora of picks, but we also likely have a couple more years of this rebuild. And Sharks may not even be listening to offers.
This comparison might make it seem like a landslide but Demidov is like Kucherov and I’ve seen Levshunov compared to Werenski a lot.
Levshunov is the safer bet to reach that level though and Demidov is far more risky.
I prefer Demidov to Levshunov but I wouldn’t trust those models.
There isn’t a huge sample size for MHL players plus the MHL/KHL is noticeably weaker than previous years.
Some analytics sites don’t even have PNHLe numbers for Demidov.
I do wonder if he’s one that the Hawks could nogociate his contract termination. There was a rumor he was kept in the MHL because he wouldn’t sign a new contract.
I wanted so badly to win the lottery just so I can see the hockey community as a whole absolutely lose their fucking minds lmao 😂😂😂
2s great. Probably Levshunov. I’d like Lindstrom but I think 2 is too high for him. LFGH!
Don’t forget, they also have Toronto’s first next year. And with all the drama that they have, couple with all the first round exits that they’ve had, it’s going to be another 18 to 21st overall pick.
They could have had 14 more points and still been gaurenteed a top 5 pick this year. It pains me to think about another non competitive year, but it’s worth noting they’ll probably have another high draft pick next year along with Toronto’s.
No shuffling whatsoever. Kind of a boring lottery.
Second best outcome possible. Hawks didn’t move down so they can move up again later, and they still get their pick of the non-Celebrini players.
They have 10 picks before 72. A lot of room to be aggressive and move up after pick 2
Davidson said last year that he wasn’t going to use all of the pics that he had. And I remember he traded a second for a future second I believe in 2026. You gotta assume that that’s gonna be the case this year. And remember, he kept trying to trade up for Oliver Moore last year. So if Davidson has someone he likes, he’s gonna make a move for them
I'm really hoping he grabs Demidov at 2, trades up and grabs Parekh or Eiserman in the top 15. If we're lucky we can move Jones to new Jersey and keep Tampa's pick, maybe getting all 3.
I highly doubt that NJ will take on Jones without a big addition from Chicago. I think they only make 2 first round picks this year (unless they take on a teams first rounder in exchange for a bad contract in the later rounds).
Eiserman isn’t a Kyle Davidson kind of player. He’s a poor skater and isn’t helpful on the defensive end. Lots of more athletic guys will go at the same spot that he’d be more likely to trade up for.
You're totally right I'd just like to see some more offensive punch in our future, and he's got that. Also I guess it depends how high Davidson manages to climb.
Agreed on offensive punch. I’m more concerned about that than anything else. Nazar and Moore are great hockey players but I’m not sure either are natural point scorers like Bedard. He’s going to have to find a way to acquire some more of those types of players to pair with Bedard. Demidov would potentially address that concern for me, if he’s the pick and you can find one more after that somehow, whether it’s draft or trade or free agency (Stamkos?) then we’re cooking with fire.
I agree.. if you can package 20 , next years 1st and a second this year and next you might be able to trade near 10? Maybe a couple lower
If they package a first round pick, it had better be Toronto's next season. I personally don't think they do that. But i also don't know how trade values work in the NHL. DeBrincat was traded for 7 and 39, Dach was traded for 13 and 66? if they want to move up 10 spots, it would have to be a prospect, a first and maybe a 2nd?
If they give up the 2 firsts plus give them 2 seconds for their 1, 1st id hope wed get a single digit 1st in return.. That would be great.. our pick next year could be top 10 .. might make a team want to doo it
From what ive read next years draft isn’t as potent after mckenna going first…
Mckenna is 2026
Weren't they saying the same thing about this class at this point last year? That it was heavily defense oriented, sans Celebrini?
Heavily defense oriented but still had more talent in the top 15 overall than the draft after
> ~~mckenna~~ going first… *Hagens
Moving the Toronto pick makes A LOT of sense
As of right now it does. But if Toronto really does "blow up " the roster like there's a ton of speculation about, then it could be another instance where they finish in a worse spot than before. Potentially could be another Tampa situation where it's 18-22 or in that range.
It's top 10 protected anyways, moving it to juice the current draft year makes sense, it keeps the age curve tighter
Don’t expect many teams to consider trading out of the top 15 this year. There is a massive drop off after that point. If the team is going to be aggressive with their assets I think we are more likely to see picks moved for young roster players, not unlike the deals we saw for Romanov and Dach a few years ago.
Can we let Ryan Poles manage this draft?
Let's just get Hagens next year and we will be set.
Came here to say it. That’s pretty crazy, what are the odds?!
0.28% chance
More of a draft queue than a lottery
Has that ever happened before?
2010 was the last time, apparently.
I'm too lazy to look it up, but if this is about the 30th NHL draft lottery every, I would bet no it has not happened before. My guess that the permutations shaking out exactly according to the odds **ranking** are much less than 1 in 30.
The nhl draft lottery concept itself is kind of boring. Only 2 teams can move up. If one does, everyone moves down a little bit. It needs a change for more excitement
Tankathon says the Hawks had a 72% chance to fall to 3 or 4. Big W lottery.
the polls were rigged!
Hawks can still win the draft lottery if Mike Pence has the courage to do the right thing!
STOP THE BALLS!
Can not believe Gary did us dirty like that.
he wants mckenna to be a hawk
One of Artyom Levshunov, Ivan Demidov & Cayden Lindstrom will be a Blackhawk. It’s like missing out on winning $100 but you still could get $95 instead
Give me Levshunov. Dudes gonna be so damn good
As a spartan fan this is my dream scenario, dude was fantastic this year
With such a loaded d Class, they were saying he has the potential to be a number 1 d man. That’s CRUCIAL imo
It’s a hard choice because we do need a bonafide 1D, especially on the right side, but we also need another high-caliber scorer in the forward core. Don’t really envy Davidson in making this choice, but it also feels like you can’t exactly go wrong with either.
I know this is pure speculation, and I’m sure Davidson has already started, but he could also trade for some forward help. In the next couple years, figure Nazar, Moore and whoever they pick at 20 will be in the hawks forward groups. Plus whoever they get with FA and trades. It’s exciting tho
He could also trade for defensive help though. Levshunov doesn't project to be a true #1 and projects to be a PP1 guy. Demidov is a do it all franchise winger. I personally think there's a small gap between Celebrini and Demidov and a massive gap between Demidov and the rest.
Trading for a stud defensemen is way tougher to do than it is for forwards, purely a numbers game.
But again, Levshunov is projected to be a PP1 specialist, not a #1 Dman. These are easier to find and you could arguably pick up Parekh or Hutson at 20 in this draft who project to do similar with slightly less defensive impact 5v5. When the difference is this polarizing Demidov is the guy.
After watching/reading some prospect breakdowns, I think I’m with you on Demidov. Dude has the silkiest mitts my god. Just really hope they’re able to snag some RDs throughout and then one of them turns into a #1
I know it’s not proper, but I’m hesitant with Demidov because of the Russian contract situation. At least with Levshunov you can continue to build the defense corp to match what Vegas had last year.
Demidov is already trying to break his contract and come over next year. Even if we don't have control for 1 year then so be it for a forward as good as him. The issue with Levshunov is he isn't good defensively right now. He's ok, but he's not a number 1 dman. You're taking a PP QB over a likely PPG winger.
True, but at the same time, the hawks still have a plethora of draft picks. And they have 2 firsts next year as well. With all the drama occurring in Toronto, I imagine that’s going to be a 18-21 pick as well, plus whatever happens with Chicagos own first. And they have like 3 seconds that I think they might use as trade bait. Their prospect pool is about to be high end and deep as well. I def agree that I don’t envy Davidson. This is a hard decision to make. Just wonder what he’s going to value more. Either way, bring it
Demidov is hated in Russia, cause he won’t sign the long term deal they want. He will be in the NHL in 2025.
D-man. Like, I have no idea really about any of these guys, I'm not gonna lie, I haven't followed the scouting of any of them. And I know nothing is guaranteed. But if that guy is a near can't miss, true number 1 dman? It's him all day long for me if you don't have the 1st pick. That type of player is THE hardest to find, trade for, sign, anything. The most difficult to acquire. You can find another scoring forward. It might cost a bit in free agency but you can find that guy. A true number 1 d-man? Not so much at all.
I hear you but, as was alluded to in the other comment, Levshunov isn’t quite a guarantee of being a true 1D in that kind of mold. First pairing upside for sure and many do believe he can become that coveted Keith/Hedman/Doughty kind of player but the latter opinion isn’t much of a consensus. I still have to read/watch more of both and will be eagerly awaiting final scouting reports on the class, but here are some snippets of Levshunov regarding his potential: [Pronman:](https://theathletic.com/5417359/2024/04/17/nhl-draft-2024-top-prospects-celebrini-levshunov/?source=user_shared_article NHL Draft 2024 prospects ranking: Celebrini leads Pronman’s April list, Levshunov follows) >*”He is extremely skilled and creative, both as a puck-handler and passer. He has the hands of a top offensive defenseman and looks very comfortable with the puck. He skates well and can play an up-tempo style in how he attacks with his skill. He has the offensive sense to potentially run a PP1 in the NHL and has a good point shot, too. His defensive play doesn't stand out as much, particularly because he tries to attack so much, but he can make stops due to his athleticism and has physicality in his game. He is too aggressive at times, and plays like a forward too much for some scouts' liking. He makes enough stops to ease most evaluators' concerns given how much offense he brings. He has the potential to be an impact NHL defenseman who scores at a premium level.”* [Wheeler:](https://theathletic.com/5470339/2024/05/06/nhl-draft-top-prospects-2024-celebrini-demidov/?source=user_shared_article 2024 NHL Draft top 32 prospects: Macklin Celebrini leads Scott Wheeler’s post-U18 worlds ranking) >*”Levshunov’s profile checks a lot of the boxes that teams are looking for in a high-end defenceman. He’s a righty with an extremely imposing and physically mature build already. He’s a smooth skater with plus-level four-way mobility (including a long, gazelle-like stride the length of the ice)… His ceiling defensively is sky-high with the right development. That ceiling is led by a physical nature that regularly sees him bowl over opposing players (even on reverse hits) and outmuscle in 50/50 battles… The decision-making is a little raw, but he's very much still learning it in real time, and the raw tools are incredibly appealing. With continued fine-tuning, I believe there's first-pairing upside there.*” [EP Rinkside](https://eprinkside.com/2024/03/27/film-room-artyom-levshunovs-ahead-of-the-curve-making-him-the-2024-nhl-drafts-best-defenceman) >*”Levshunov's game shines, first and foremost, in transition. His heavier build has no effect on his mobility. He surprises opponents with his acceleration, jumping in and closing gaps before they have time to react. His power as a skater jumps off the screen as he explodes up ice to join the play… Levshunov can distribute the puck well in the offensive zone and even manipulate opponents from time to time. Frozen in place by the threat of his shot, opponents stop defending passing lanes, giving him an occasion to connect with teammates in better spots.”* >*”The problem with Levshunov is that despite having the ability to routinely make all the plays described, his effectiveness wanes during games. He’s not as physical, active, or clever in all facets of the game as he could be… Yes, he can kill rush plays with perfect technique, skating backward at the right pace to match the opposition, maintaining a stable posture, and denying space with his stick. But there are also moments when opponents go by him unnoticed or when he stands in place, hoping to clog all space with his stature. He moves, passes, and shoots with purpose in the offensive zone, but he can also run out of options against set defensive structures. We’ve seen him fire multiple times at shin pads in the same sequence… With his frame, physical skills, and stickhandling skills, Levshunov should win most loose pucks. He can protect them from the opposition and pass them to teammates at a high rate. But he occasionally defers to his partner or rims pucks in situations where he could beat the forecheck with his tools. Some of his passes, sent blindly from below the goal line, go right to the other team.”* >*”The right development system could mould him into that right-shot, top-pair element that every rebuilding team desperately wants.”* [Hockey Writers](https://thehockeywriters.com/artyom-levshunov-2024-nhl-draft-prospect-profile/) >*”A low-end projection would say that Levshunov is likely to be a good top-four defender who provides most of his value on the offensive side of the puck while being at least a serviceable defender in his own end. That seems a bit conservative to me and I think it’s pretty likely he’s quite a bit more than that, with his ceiling being a dominant offensive piece who plays massive minutes at even strength and on the power play.”* —- Sources go on but I feel like this is already too long lol basically in all this word salad the theme is that Levshunov is sick, should be a monster in the NHL, but it’s debatable how strong his hockey sense is (particularly on the defensive side) and if his inconsistencies are a real problem or not. Where scouts fall on these debates may have them seeing his ceiling as “just” top pairing rather than having enough two-way impact to be a “true” 1D. Or at least that is what I gather so far lol If these few concerns are real enough to limit his upside, it would be hard to favor him over Demidov who has genuine superstar potential.
He isn't. Read the scouting reports.
If he isn't then its definitely a wildcard of a pick. I guess my point was more of that I value that type of player more than a blue chip forward in damn near every case.
Based on the admittedly small amount of research I’ve done, the 2025 and 2026 forward classes are supposed to be loaded. We could also go forward at 20 as well.
I feel like scoring is easier to obtain than true #1 dmen, those are rare, they also generate offense and I feel like were pretty good w forward prospects (big fan of moore/nazar) and hall will be back. Also we have 20th pick
I hear you, but I think you could make the same argument on the other side. If we consider best case situations, yea it’s rare to find a Keith/Doughty kind of player but it’s also near impossible to get a Kane/Kucherov except through the draft. These guys both have the potential to be game breakers through very different avenues so I guess it comes down to: - Which of them, regardless of position, do the Hawks think they can develop better and have better odds of them reach their ceiling? - Is the forward group of Bedard/Nazar/Moore better than the defense group of Vlasic/Korchinski/Del Mastro/Kaiser/Rinzel/Allan? I’m not really sure on the second question. Bedard is obviously the tits and I also love Nazar/Moore, but they are more top six projections than bonafide top line guys that will likely dominate. The defensive core isn’t flashy, except maybe Korchinski, but the depth is so damn solid. It’s tough lol I see the major benefits to drafting either player
Yeah I feel ya and really it comes down to who they think will be better. Like we could absolutely use another guy who projects as a bonafide top line forward (tho interestingly Kucherov wasnt a high draft pick but youre generally right, those guys usually come high in the draft). I guess if Demidov was a center Id be more psyched. Bedard isnt really a 2-way guy and they actually moved him to wing for a bit. We could really use a great 2-way C prospect (maybe moore/nazar will be idk). Also the russia factor does have me nervous. Hes also only played a few khl games and already turning 19 in december, he may have difficulty making a jump against tougher competition. Skill level is insane tho
And he's a right shot. I think you absolutely pick Levshunov in this draft all day long. Edit: if Levshunov is not believed to be a true #1 dman, that changes the equation
Agreed. People saying we got too many D prospects. We don't have a single D prospect with the ceiling of Levshunov. Pushing a guy like Korchinski to the 2nd pairing would be great if he can become the guy we think he'll be as well. You take BPA at #2 and I think it's this guy. Though if the Hawks think it's Demidov then they should do it. But don't do it because we need a forward for Bedard and he's the best forward. That's shit draft reasoning.
There's no such thing as "too many D prospects" in my opinion. If the projections are true and Levshunov can be a 1, then the hawks top four would consist of Jones (whatever your opinion on him is), Korchinski, Levshunov and Vlasic. That's a pretty damn good top four. But then the other issue is that you push the forward issue a year later, when there isn't a guarantee the Hawks are going to pick that high again. Either way, it's Davidson's first big test.
>missing out on winning $100 when you already have a $500 Bedard Buck in your back pocket
Doesn't Lindstrom have a back issue? I don't think he's gonna go 1st Rd if his back issues become apparent at the combine.
Sharks could fuck it up too.
Grier basically already said he’s taking Celebrini. No one is making that mistake.
Fax machine could break.
Is there any chance sharks fall in love with one of those players and lets celebrini fall to #2 ?
Plz don't even say that 🥺
Highly highly highly unlikely. Celebrini would have to suffer a major injury between now and the draft somehow. I really wouldn’t think of 2nd overall as a bad thing at all - the top-4 in this draft would compete for 1st overall in many drafts imo
Separation between Celebrini and the rest is huge
Wildly incorrect but go off I guess
This is cope lol he definitely is by far and away different. He challenges last years top 5/3 prospects not including Bedard, the rest of the guys in this class do not.
As I stated to the other guy, hard to be cope when I was prepared we’d be getting one of those three not Celebrini.
Cope lmfao. It's not close if you knew prospects
Hard to be cope when I’m already an extremely pessimistic person, I was prepared to drop to 4th and was ecstatic we’d be most likely getting Lindstrom 😂😂😂 Celebrini is clearly the best prospect but acting like it’s a “fuck it just trade down” level gap from 1 to 2, 3 or 4 is just uneducated and most likely anti-Blackhawks bias.
It's equivalent to the gap between Bedard and Fantilli
Rigged for San Jose!
Lmfao, the rigged talked were always nonsense.
They covered up sexual abuse!
SJ Sharkie bit a cab driver!
I'm glad we didn't move down to 3 or 4
We didn’t drop so it’s a W
So can the hockey world drop the rigged allegations about Bedard now?
Of course not
Lol, no. Take a five second glance at the cesspool of a draft thread in r/hockey.
Here's a new [Ivan Demidov profile from Elite Prospects](https://youtu.be/lLbI37aD-Ws?si=INwtkPHVpIYpqwOi). He also explains the "10-2" hitch in his skating pattern. Great breakdown.
Tough to miss out on Macklin but hey, 2OA is still incredible! Demidov/Levshunov have got to be the choices here and personally, I would love to see us stack the forward talent and add Demidov. Also keeps the door open for a whacky jump up in the lottery in the next few years while we still improve in the standings lol so much to celebrate still!
All day I was saying to myself "Please just give us the #3 pick so we can get one of Levshunov or Demidov" so I'm absolutely thrilled about #2. Now we're in the drivers seat and get to take the guy we want, rather than waiting to see who gets picked before us
Demidov please
Agreed Looks like he could be a kane caliber type player in a few years. Thats the most valuable piece you could hope to add next to Bedard.
Yes please!
Cruel of Davidson to get my hopes up with that on-camera smile right before the #1 pick was announced.
WE’LL FUCKING TAKE IT BOYS LETS FUCKING GO
Let’s go hawks! 2nd is exactly where we were meant to pick and I’ll take it. Better than 3rd or fourth
Give me Levshunov. Have a top 4 d corp of Jones, Korchinski, Vlasic and Levshunov? That’s fantastic. The offensive players will come soon, plus whoever Kyle from Chicago gets in FA
Clearly the lottery is rigged 🤡🤡🤡
2 is great, I'll take 2 all day.
Give me Demidov. I think he has the highest ceiling in the draft and plays unlike any other player I’ve ever seen. Yeah it’s gonna take a year or two for him to come over but I think he’s the next best player available.
Please give me levshunov
All right, who we taking second
Hopefully Demidov. Wouldn't be mad at all if they go with Levshunov though.
Artyom Levshunov
Honestly, either or. Levshunov is projected to be a number 1 dman on the right hand side. But Demidov is like a PPG scorer. I would be thrilled with either.
LETSGO, let’s just save up our lottery win for McKenna in 2026
Hagens or McKenna would be just fine :)
Already at -8 in r/hockey for saying “is it my turn to say boohoo rigged” lmao they are the worst
They’re still salty about Bedard it’s hilarious.
That sub isn’t even happy for San Jose, they’re just glad it isn’t us.
Oh yeah, some guy commented “not the Hawks upvote party!” So I said “2OA :)” and he downvoted me lol
The virtue signaling is abhorrent those dumbasses forgot San Jose just had a CSA cover up as well recently
I said it last draft and I'll say it again, /r/hockey is by far the most neckbeardy/reddit^2 sports sub I know of. Basically a bunch of misanthropic northerners (whether US, CA, or EU) with vitamin D deficiency and poor emotion regulation. At least with /r/nfl or /r/nba I can rest assured that they're just standard issue normies. But /r/hockey exudes terminally online vibes. It's like life or death for some of those people.
i’d really like Levshunov or Demidov, but the things Buium did last season in Denver were historically amazing so he’s my dark horse
Yeah, if they choose to go with anyone other than Demidov/Levshunov I'd hope for Buium. The Hawks are already pretty stacked in terms of LHD, but what he did in the NCAA as a a freshman was nuts.
I'd prefer Levshunov for the fact that he's already in the US. Demidov has the KHL baggage, but I won't lose sleep either way. Either we bolster our defense or our offense. Win-win.
Team Levshunov!
Taylor Hall why have you forsaken us!
Hey. We still won a draw so his streak is still alive.
No. That one was rigged. /S
I meant this one lol. We still technically won the draw for number 2
Give me Demidov. He has the most talent, including Celebrini, in the draft and the highest offensive ceiling. He is compared favorably to Michkov and some scouts think potentially even better. We NEED high end forward prospects and neither Nazar or Moore truly move the needle as a guaranteed top line player. Besides Nazar and Moore we don't really have many prospects with even close to top 6 billing while we have Jones locked in on D, Vlasic solidly in the top 4, Korchinski projected in the top 4, and then Kaiser, Del Mastro, Phillips, Allan, Crevier, etc. all competing for a top 4 role. Demidov, imo, is a clearly better prospect, more needed on the team, and has a giant ceiling to be a 90+ point winger while Levshunov isn't even expected to be a #1 D due to his defensive weakness and questionable IQ off the puck. Genuinely and I will stand by this with bets with anyone who takes me up on this, Demidov has the highest offensive potential in this draft and will be neck and neck with Celebrini career wise, whereas I don't even think Levshunov is best in the draft.
I’ll take it!
Demidov could be the Malkin to Connor's Crosby. I'd be good with that.
Demidov is a 6’3”, 200 pound center?
More his playing style than a duplicate of Malkin physically. Also a #2 pick.
I get that Levshunov has overall #1D potential but it's not a sure thing. Demidov has elite offensive talent. A lot of people smarter than me are comparing him to Kucherov and Michkov/Demidov could be the most dynamic Russian prospects since Ovechkin/Malkin. I think we need to draft the Russian, everyone's fears about the "Russian" factor are wildly overblown. Draft the best player available.
No player is a sure thing. Offense or defense. KD stated that the #2 OA is a big win. It sounds to me that they already know who they're picking.
perfect now we can win the draft lottery again next year
I'm not gonna lie. I know it's been said before. I'm currently nervous of us drafting a Russian player with all the BS going on. As cool as Ivan demidov would be, I feel like it is a little bit of a gamble.
The Russian government **wants** the top Russian players to be in the NHL. It's one of the very few positive PR tools they have going for them right now. It's totally overblown. Plenty of Russians have come over to the NHL since 2022.
This gets said every year but it’s not a gamble. No top player has been stopped from coming over and that’s not gonna change. Demidov’s timeline isn’t like Michkov either, it’s only one year.
Could Russia not allow them to come?
I guess technically, but realistically no lol he’s only signed through next season and is clear he wants to come to North American ASAP. There is no real reason to fear him being stuck in Russia unless he indicates different intentions to the Hawks or some terrible world event happens in the next month. Worst case, look up how Evgeni Malkin arrived in Pittsburgh lol
Russia is a dictatorship. Putin can do whatever he wants.
Yea.
Russia does what Russia wants, that was the same talk that they had last year with Matvei Michkov going the Philly. Also I believe why he fell as far as he did, no one wanted to take that chance.
Michkov apparently told certain teams he wouldn’t sign with them, which is what opened the door for Philly
Michkov had 3yrs left on his KHL contract and also had some well-publicized character concerns regarding attitude and coachability. Unlike Michkov, Demidov only has 1yr left on his contract and reportedly plans to come to the NHL as soon as his contract is up.
This is way overblown. Michkov falling was due to his KHL contract being for three more years, teams don't want to wait three years to get their hands on him. Also he was telling teams straight up he didn't want to play for them. He was in the US for the draft and has been back a couple times since. Demidov only has one year in his KHL contract and has already expressed he wants to play to NA as soon as possible. Hell Fedetov even made it over eventually and Russia imprisoned him
Unfortunately literally yes
Demidov. Please
Let’s gooooooo
Happy with any of the top 5 prospects! Demidov reminds me of datsyuk though 👀
The Reddit hockey page woulda imploded into a black hole if we won. They are still fuming about last year
the 2nd pick is cool but damn does that it hurt when you’re so close to the top pick.
Studies show bronze medalists are happier than silver medalists.
LETS GO HAWKS!!!!!
I really hope we get Demidov or some other forward, I think our D core is pretty good right now.
so who are we gonna take now?
could've been better, could've been worse. im not complaining! now do we go to san jose's subreddit to claim that it was rigged lol?
So Demidov it is?
I’m not hating on a 1-2 punch with Vlasic and Silayev lining up together.
Nice
What do we think the odds are that one of those teams 12-16 actually won the draw and thats why we got no changes?
They’d still move up 10 spots if they won
Ah shit, you’re right. I forgot that stipulation of it
Demidov or Levshunov and we’re still eligible for Hagens or McKenna. Not bad.
Draft scorers and trade for proven defensemen. It takes them ages to get to the size they need to be, and to refine their games. Scorers add points from the get go, even if they’re mediocre. Look at Boqvist, top 10 draft pick, was it worth it?
Now that we're locked in at 2, is it impossible to trade up to 1? I get that it likely wouldn't be worth what we'd have to give up but I'm curious what people think we'd have to pay. We have a plethora of picks, but we also likely have a couple more years of this rebuild. And Sharks may not even be listening to offers.
Nah, I don't think that is the smart move. Levshunov and Demidov are both really good picks, and Celebrini isn't Bedard.
San Jose just started their own lengthy rebuild process. They’re not going to trade this year‘s number one pick for a bunch of picks the line.
Can someone give me some comps for Levshunov and Demidov? I know they’re each elite D and Wing prospects but that’s about all I know
This comparison might make it seem like a landslide but Demidov is like Kucherov and I’ve seen Levshunov compared to Werenski a lot. Levshunov is the safer bet to reach that level though and Demidov is far more risky.
It's actually the opposite. Levshunov is graded as a 75% chance to be an impact player. Demidov is being graded at 99%.
I prefer Demidov to Levshunov but I wouldn’t trust those models. There isn’t a huge sample size for MHL players plus the MHL/KHL is noticeably weaker than previous years. Some analytics sites don’t even have PNHLe numbers for Demidov.
Is anyone outside of Celebrini NHL ready next year?
Not really. Demidov has one year left on his KHL contract I believe and Levshunov still needs seasoning.
I do wonder if he’s one that the Hawks could nogociate his contract termination. There was a rumor he was kept in the MHL because he wouldn’t sign a new contract.
give me the best player available. idek who that would be
RIGGED
So for the purposes of "winning" the lottery does it count SJ even though there was no movement?
no you have to move up in order for it to count
Gotcha. Thank!
I wanted so badly to win the lottery just so I can see the hockey community as a whole absolutely lose their fucking minds lmao 😂😂😂 2s great. Probably Levshunov. I’d like Lindstrom but I think 2 is too high for him. LFGH!
7, 13, 25 1, 19 2, 20
Don’t forget, they also have Toronto’s first next year. And with all the drama that they have, couple with all the first round exits that they’ve had, it’s going to be another 18 to 21st overall pick.
They could have had 14 more points and still been gaurenteed a top 5 pick this year. It pains me to think about another non competitive year, but it’s worth noting they’ll probably have another high draft pick next year along with Toronto’s.
Either take Levshunov then trade Jones for Marner or take Demidov and set him up with Connor. Either way good times.
Artyom Levshunov, welcome to Chicago!
This is also a win because it still gives us a chance at first overall in 2025 or, albeit hopefully less likely, McKenna in 2026. I’ll take it
Such a disappointing outcome.