Blackhawks defensemen looking ‘to grow up fast and win games’

CHICAGO — Artyom Levshunov is working through rookie camp practices this week and is already looking forward to being part of the Chicago Blackhawks’ young defenseman group this season.

“I think it’s always fun to be with the young guys together,” the 19-year-old said on Wednesday. “It’s going to be a lot of fun for me, for us as a group. I’m looking forward to it.”

Fun, for sure, but it’s also going to be a test. The Blackhawks are relying on a lot of younger players to propel them forward this season, and Levshunov and Sam Rinzel, 21, will be part of that on the back end. The two will participate in the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase, which will also feature Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues prospects, at TRIA Rink in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Saturday and Sunday.

“It’s exciting,” Rinzel said Wednesday. “Any time you can build with younger guys, it’s pretty cool. We want to be able to grow up fast and win games.”

Levshnov and Rinzel will have plenty of company in that regard; others projected to be part of Chicago’s top six defensemen to start the season include Ethan Del Mastro, 22, current unsigned restricted free agent Wyatt Kaiser, 23, Alex Vlasic, 24, and Connor Murphy, 32.

Murphy has the most NHL games with 745. After that, the experience drops off significantly; Vlasic has played in 179 NHL games, Kaiser 98 and Del Mastro 26.

Levshunov and Rinzel each made his League debut last season; Levshunov had six assists in 18 games, and Rinzel had five assists in nine.

All the young defensemen, except possibly Kaiser, will be at training camp next week. Rinzel missed camp last year because he was playing his sophomore season at the University of Minnesota. Levshunov fractured his right foot last offseason. He began skating on his own Sept. 26 but couldn’t participate in the Tom Kurvers Rookie Showcase or training camp.

“He tried on a broken foot (last year), but that’s not ideal,” Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said. “So he’s had a full, healthy offseason. He’s going to have a full, good training camp and I think for those guys, that experience … and we see where they’re at in training camp and adjust any planning from there.”

Rinzel had a healthy 2024-25 with Minnesota, when he had 32 points (10 goals, 22 assists) in 40 games. Blackhawks forward Oliver Moore, Rinzel’s teammate at Minnesota the past two seasons, said Rinzel will have no problem adjusting to a bigger workload.

“Every single practice, he gets better and better, ever since I’ve been skating with him over the last three or four years now,” Moore said Thursday. “He’s going to fit right in wherever he is. You guys have seen at the end of the year, his game is transitioning so well to the kind of hockey he’s going to be playing for a long time. He’s going to fit in wherever he is and he’s going to adjust.”

Other defensemen who could make the roster include Kevin Korchinski, 21, who has played in 92 career NHL games, and Nolan Allan, 22, who has played in 43. Davidson said Chicago will be sure to give members of the group breathers if necessary.

“Either with the young players coming in that have played a little bit of pro or the guys who were in the pros last year,” Davidson said, “and the number of players we do have, I do believe that we’ll be able to create a system where maybe we don’t need to, but we’ll be able to have some opportunity to play a number of different players and kind of maybe spell some guys if they need a little bit of a break because of the long season.

“But honestly, I feel we’ve got the young guys that will be able to handle it. Some of them have spent a couple of years in pro hockey and they’ll be ready. They’re at the age where they should be able to handle that and some of the younger guys, if there are signs of a little bit of the season getting to them and being a grind, then you modify some workloads a bit. I don’t necessarily think that’ll be something we have to look into as much.

“I think they’re young, but I do believe they’re at the point where they’re ready to step up and play those 82.”

Jared Nightengale, coach of Rockford, the Blackhawks’ American Hockey League affiliate, said young defensemen need to remember one thing as they head into bigger NHL roles.

“I always tell our [defensemen], ‘Don’t try to look sexy every shift,'” he said. “‘It’s good to not get noticed. Make the play that’s ahead of you. Trust that when they get put in positions where their talent needs to be shown, it’s not something you need to go out and try and prove and show every shift.’ That’s usually when ‘D’ struggles. It’s letting the game come to them.

“Duncan Keith, early in his career, he struggled in the minor leagues. He was a really offensive defenseman in college (Michigan State) and then he bought in, and it clicked. He was a defend-first defenseman and then his ability took over. You know how special a player he was.”

Indeed, Keith played 1,256 NHL games with the Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers, twice won the Norris Trophy, voted as the NHL’s top defenseman (2010, 2014), won the Stanley Cup three times with Chicago (2010, 2013 and 2015) and the Conn Smythe Trophy, voted as most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs (2015). Named one of the NHL’s 100 Greatest Players in 2017, he will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November.

The Blackhawks defensemen will be learning as they go this season. Yes, there will be growing pains, but Chicago will accept that. For the players, the excitement outweighs everything.

“I feel way more comfortable for sure than in my first year,” Levshunov said. “I’m excited to be here and yeah, start training and playing.”