Artyom Levshunov becomes 3rd Spartan ever selected in top 5 of NHL draft

Michigan State hockey star Artyom Levshunov was selected No. 2 overall in the 2024 NHL Draft on Friday night.

The NHL draft took place on Friday from the Sphere in Las Vegas. The hockey world is still settling down after a thrilling Stanley Cup Finals series where the Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers in seven games. Now tides turn to the draft and for Michigan State hockey fans, that means where will prized defenseman Artyom Levshunov land?

Fortunately for those MSU fans, you did not have to watch the draft for long to see Levshunov find out where he is going. The Chicago Blackhawks used their second overall pick to select Arty. He will eventually join last year’s first overall pick Connor Bedard in the Windy City.

Connor Bedard picks Levshunov for Chicago.

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 28, 2024

By going second overall, Levshuov becomes just the third Spartan player ever to be drafted in the top five of the NHL Draft. He joins Craig Simpson who went second overall in 1985 and then Joe Murphy who was taken first overall by the Red Wings in 1986.

Arty finished his rookie season in the green and white by being named Big Ten’s Newcomer of the Year, Defenseman of the Year, and being named First Team All-Big Ten. The freshman tallied nearly a point per game for MSU last season.

Levshunov has not completely closed the door on returning to MSU next season. It frankly depends on the vision the Blackhawks have in store for him. He is free to return to the Spartans if they feel his development would continue at the current rate by playing for Adam Nightingale. Players drafted in the NHL are free to return to college if they do not sign their NHL Entry Level contracts.

Whether or not the ELC is offered or even signed is largely up to how the team views the developmental path of the player. If Chicago feels Arty is ready for a step up in competition, they could push for him to sign his ELC and go play professional hockey either overseas or in the AHL (or even the NHL should he make the roster out of training camp).

If they are in no rush to get him to the NHL or think he could stand to have another year of seasoning in amateur hockey, they may ask him if he would be interested in returning to the Spartans and playing one more season. Doing so would be a major boost for the fans in East Lansing. Nightingale reported that four other Spartans from last year’s team turned down ELCs with their NHL teams to come back next year, including starting goalie Trey Augustine.

Having Artyom Levshunov back in the fold would assuredly position the Spartans to have a shot at another deep season run like this past season. Regardless of what Arty and the Blackhawks decide, I’m super happy for him to finally be drafted.