MSU hockey adds potential top 10 NHL draft pick from Belarus to freshmen class
Michigan State hockey coach Adam Nightingale added one of the top defensemen for the 2024 NHL Draft to this year's highly-ranked recruiting class.
Artyom Levshunov, a 6-2, 198 pound defenseman from Belarus, is rated fifth overall by The Hockey News for next year's draft and was one of 10 freshmen that Nightingale introduced in a news release on Monday.
Levshunov, 17, played for the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League this year and made the league's all-rookie team with 13 goals and 29 assists for 42 points in 62 games. He's trying to become the highest-drafted Belarusian player in NHL history, surpassing Ruslan Salei, who was drafted ninth overall by Anaheim in 1996 and played one year with the Detroit Red Wings in 2010.
"A two-way defenseman with a speedy stride," The Hockey News wrote in a 2024 draft preview. "Levshunov could've played major junior last season if not for the ban on Belarusian and Russian prospects for the 2022 CHL Import Draft. USHL Green Bay picked him up and he tallied an impressive 42 points in 62 games. Expect him to be one of the first defensemen off the board in 2024."
According to The Hockey News, the top two players for the 2024 draft are expected to be forwards: Boston University commit Mack Celebrini, who was named the USHL's MVP with the Chicago Wolves and NTDP's Cole Eiserman, who had 69 goals in 62 games with the U17 and U18 teams in Plymouth.
Levshunov is one of five defensemen who are projected to be top-10 picks along with Sam Dickinson (London, OHL), Aron Kiviharju (Finland), Adam Jiricek (Czech Republic) and Cole Hutson (NTDP). Other first-round candidates on defense are: Zayne Parekh (Saginaw, OHL), Zeev Buium, (NTDP and the younger brother of Red Wings draft pick Shai Buium), Henry Mews (Ottawa, OHL) and Will Skahan (NTDP).
MSU's 2024 freshmen class was ranked third in the country by Neutral Zone, a hockey scouting service which ranks more than 23,000 NCAA and CHL prospects.
"We're very excited about our incoming players," said Nightingale, who led the Spartans to an 18-18-2 record in his first season in East Lansing. "They are all team-first guys and the type of players and people that our great fan base will enjoy watching. We're looking forward to the upcoming season to show our fans our growth and are hoping to see the same sold-out atmosphere we enjoyed at the end of last season."
Two of the 10 freshmen were selected in the 2023 NHL Draft: NTDP goalie Trey Augustine (Red Wings, second round) and Slovakian defenseman Maxim Strbak (Buffalo Sabres, second round). Two transfers were selected in previous drafts: Miami University forward Red Savage (Red Wings, fourth round, 2021) and Minnesota Duluth forward Isaac Howard (Tampa Bay Lightning, first round, 2022).
Among other newcomers are five players from the state of Michigan: F Owen Baker (Howell), G Luca DiPasquo (Livonia), F Griffin Jurecki (Grosse Ile), F Joey Larson (Brighton) and F Reed Lebster (Grand Rapids).