For the first time since 2010, the NHL Draft Lottery gave us zero changes to the draft order. This means the Hawks will be selecting 2nd overall come June 28th, and it's time to start debating who Kyle Davidson and company will be taking. Personally, if we couldn’t be drafting 1st overall, I was hoping for 3rd because it is going to be a very tough call on who to take, as it seems like it is a two-horse race between forward Ivan Demidov and defenseman Artyom Levshunov.
Ivan Demidov
Demidov is a 6-foot-168-pound Russian playing out of the MHL in Russia. In 30 games this season, he put up 23 goals and 37 assists for 60 points. The MHL is equivalent to the ECHL over here in North America, and looking into that, the reason he is playing in that low of a league is because he is being punished for refusing to sign a long-term deal with his KHL club, SKA St. Petersburg. He is signed through the 2024–25 season; however, there are already reports that he is looking to break that contract and make the jump to North America next season. While the Russian factor might scare a lot of people, it appears that it shouldn’t be an issue like it was for Michkov last season. A lot of scouts have Demidov rank much higher than Michkov and are seen as a more complete player with an excellent two-way game. He could end up being a great option to play on Bedard’s right side, and we could be in for a lot of pretty highlight reel goals for a long time.
Artyom Levshunov
Leshunov is a 6-foot-2,198-pound defender who played for Michigan State University this past season. He had a successful season, putting up 35 points in 38 games and helping lead the Spartans to the Big 10 Conference championship. Scouts have him right now as the top defensive player in the draft and see his ceiling going as high as a number one defenseman. Why I really give him a look as an option at number two is the fact that he is a right-handed shot. The Hawks are currently loaded with left-handed prospects, and on the big club, Seth Jones and Connor Murphy are the only right-handed shots. Bringing Levshunov to the fold could really give the Hawks a scary core that will make each night frustrating for their opponents. He is one of the older players in the draft and will be turning 19 on October 28th, so you don’t necessarily need to let him develop another year in college if you don’t want to, and you always have the option of him playing some games in Rockford if need be.
No matter who KD decides to go with, number two is going to give the Hawks the best chance to add an important piece for the future of this club. While this is going to be a tough call, it's one of those tough calls you love to have. If I had to make a call right now, I would lean more towards Leshunov just because I feel like it is so much harder to find a top right-handed defenseman, but I could easily be convinced to change my mind for Demidov. Either way, the Hawks are going to win here, and the rebuild will continue to be headed in the right direction.
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • 
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