Artyom Levshunov signs NHL entry contract, won’t return to MSU

Star Michigan State hockey defenseman Artyom Levshunov has signed a contract with the Blackhawks and won’t return to MSU.

A bittersweet announcement happened on Saturday regarding star Michigan State hockey defenseman Artyom Levshunov. The Chicago Blackhawks announced that he signed his entry level contract (ELC) and will officially turn pro. The news was announced and confirmed by the Blackhawks’ Twitter account.

It's official 🥳

Details ⮕ https://t.co/a70qBVieA0 pic.twitter.com/gW1x13SRL8

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) July 6, 2024

Arty, who was recently picked No. 2 in the NHL Entry Draft, had initially shown some interest in potentially coming back to MSU for one more season. He stated he would explore all options and see what plans the Blackhawks may have had in store for him. Reports floating around online over the weekend mentioned Arty was a stand-out at Blackhawks developmental camp and that appears to have been enough to want him to sign.

Per the Blackhawks’ tweet above, Arty’s ELC is a three-year deal with an average annual value of $975,000 per year. That amount is the maximum teams can sign draft picks for under the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The next step for Arty will most likely be to report to Blackhawks rookie camp once it starts. Rookie camp runs from Sept. 11-15 this fall. Once that ends, full team training camp will then start on Sept. 18.

Arty will have to earn an invite to training camp, but since he was so highly regarded coming into the draft, one would think he will get an invite.

Should Arty put together a good camp, it is possible he could find himself making the opening roster for the Blackhawks. It’s not necessarily likely but as previously stated in some of my other articles, Chicago has needed help on the blue line in the previous seasons. Chicago also has shown in recent history that they will play rookies if they earn a spot. Just last season, Chicago’s first overall pick in the 2023 draft Connor Bedard made the opening night roster and played in 68 games this past year. So while it’s a long shot, there is potential that Arty could have a similar contribution.

Regardless of how this turns out, I am personally really happy to see Artyom Levshunov get to fulfill his dreams and sign his pro deal. As awesome as it would have been for him to have one last run in East Lansing, you can’t fault a kid for taking his shot to go pro when it presented itself. Congratulations to Arty.