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Artyom Levshunov speaks after the Blackhawks selected him No. 2 overall
The Blackhawks opted for defense to open their 2024 NHL Draft, selecting Artyom Levshunov out of Michigan State. He spoke to the media after his selection, courtesy of the Chicago Blackhawks.
LAS VEGAS - The Chicago Blackhawks were done in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft, until they decided to trade back into the first round.
With that trade, they selected an offensive player.
With the No. 27 overall pick, the Blackhawks selected winger Marek Vanacker from OHL Brantford.
To get back into the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft, the Blackhawks traded both of their 2024 second-round picks, No. 34 and No. 50 overall.
In the selection itself, the Blackhawks are getting a productive winger that could develop into a key offensive piece on a team that needs offensive production to assist Connor Bedard.
One key attribute to take note of is that Vanacker is a tough player.
"I don’t think it affected me a whole lot. I just kind of played through it and didn’t know what it was at the time anyways. I just tried to remove it from my mind," Vanacker told reporters at the NHL Combine.
Vanacker is a productive player at the OHL level, where he recorded 82 points on 36 goals, and 46 assists.
NHL.com said the 18-year-old winger is productive, and has a clutch gene.
"The Blackhawks get another pick in the first round by trading picks No. 34 and 50 to the Carolina Hurricanes to take Vanacker (6-0, 178), who led Brantford with 82 points (36 goals, 46 assists) in 68 games," NHL.com wrote of Vanacker. "The 18-year-old scored one goal in six games to help Canada win the gold medal at the World U-18s. Most impressive was he played almost the entire season with a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He had surgery in June and is expected to need 4-6 months to recover."
With the selection of Vanacker, the Blackhawks have now made eight first-round picks in the last three NHL Drafts. That is the most first-round selections of any team over the last three drafts.
The Blackhawks have four picks remaining in the 2024 NHL Draft.
How Artyom Levshunov fits on the Chicago Blackhawks, and why it's okay they passed on Ivan Demidov
Here's how Levshunov fits on the Blackhawks, and why it's okay Chicago passed on the offensive-minded Ivan Demidov.