Blackhawks’ top defense prospect Artyom Levshunov might miss up to six weeks due to a foot injury.
Earlier this month, he got hurt when a puck hit his foot. At first, it didn’t seem too serious, but now he’s in a walking boot for at least two weeks. This means he’ll miss all of the training camp and possibly the start of the regular season.
It’s not clear if Levshunov would have made the opening night roster even if he was healthy. Missing camp makes it almost certain he’ll start in the AHL with Rockford IceHogs. The 6-foot-2 defenseman, who turns 19 next month, had an amazing season at Michigan State with 35 points (9 goals and 26 assists) in 38 games and was named Big 10’s Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year.
Team Strategy:
General Manager Kyle Davidson signed veterans T.J. Brodie and Alec Martinez to give young players more time to develop in Rockford. Levshunov had one of the clearer paths to making the team as a right-shot defenseman since other prospects like Wyatt Kaiser, Kevin Korchinski, and Isaak Phillips are lefties.
If Levshunov is out for six weeks, he might debut late October. He can play up to nine NHL games before his entry-level contract starts.
Fans might think it’s better for him to fully recover rather than rush back too soon.
What do you think? Should they wait longer or let him play as soon as he’s ready?
