Blackhawks fans can stop panicking. Defenseman prospect Artyom Levshunov, the No. 2 pick in 2024, didn’t sit out Sunday’s Rockford IceHogs’ game due to injury. He didn’t miss it because the Blackhawks didn’t like his play as of late. They’ve actually been encouraged by how far he’s come this season.
The reason why Levshunov and Paul Ludwinski, a 2022 second-round pick, missed Sunday’s game was that they were made healthy scratches after they were late for a team meeting. That’s it. Neither is expected to be disciplined any further and both are expected back in the IceHogs’ lineup this week.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s dive into some other Blackhawks prospect updates:
• IceHogs forward Cole Guttman, a free-agent signing, is putting together another strong stretch and building a case to be called up. Over his last nine games, he’s had six goals and nine assists. With Frank Nazar and Colton Dach in the NHL, Guttman has been carrying a lot of the IceHogs’ offense.
• IceHogs goalie Drew Commesso, a 2020 second-round pick, recorded his second shutout of the season with 25 saves in a 5-0 win on Sunday. The two shutouts have come in his last five games, but that stretch has also included some rocky starts. For the season, he has an .899 save percentage in 17 games.
• Defenseman Kevin Korchinski, a 2022 first-round pick, has four assists in seven games since returning to the IceHogs from the Blackhawks. He had a team-high seven shots on goal in Sunday’s win and has had 13 shots on net in the last seven games.
• Roman Kantserov, a 2023 second-round pick, has continued to put up points in his second full season in the KHL. He’s at nearly a point a game. He has 12 goals and 11 assists in 24 games. He’s especially been hot over the last month and a half. He’s produced 10 goals and five assists in his last 11 games.
• Denver junior forward Aidan Thompson, a third-round pick in 2022, is tied for fourth in men’s college hockey in points. He has 13 goals, 16 assists and 29 points in 22 games. He’s registered a point in 19 of 22 games and scored in 12 games this season.
• Forward Jack Pridham, a 2024 third-round pick, has consistently produced since joining Kitchener of the OHL in November. In 22 games, he’s had 12 goals and 13 assists. He’s still committed to Boston University for next season.
• Minnesota sophomore Sam Rinzel, a 2022 first-round pick, is tied with Zeev Buium for the most points by a defenseman in men’s college hockey this season. Rinzel has 24 points, which includes nine goals and 15 assists, in 24 games. He has 28 points in 39 games as a freshman.
• Boston University junior forward Ryan Greene is coming off his best weekend of the season. He produced two goals and three assists in a two-game series against Vermont. He has seven points in his last three games. For the season, he has eight goals and 12 assists in 19 games.
• Erie forward Martin Misiak, a 2023 second-round pick, had a six-game points streak snapped in his last game. He had one goal and seven assists during the streak. For the season, he has 11 goals and 17 assists in 29 games in the OHL.
• North Dakota freshman forward Sacha Boisvert, a 2024 first-round pick, has nine goals and nine assists in 21 games. He has scored seven goals in his last 11 games.
• Providence freshman John Mustard, a 2024 third-round pick, had a seven-game points streak snapped in his last game. He had three goals and seven assists during the streak. For the season, he has five goals and nine assists in 20 games.
• Duluth senior forward Dominic James, a 2022 sixth-round pick, has been around a point-a-game rate all season. Through 19 games, he has nine goals and 10 assists. He played just two games last season due to injury.
• Brantford forward Nick Lardis, a 2023 second-round pick, is second in the OHL with 34 goals. Only Michael Misa, a potential top-five 2025 draft pick, has more goals with 35. Lardis’ most eye-opening statistic may be his shots on goal. He had 171 shots in 37 games last season. He has 226 shots in 39 games this season.
• Brantford forward Marek Vanacker, a 2024 first-round pick, has been finding his game since returning from shoulder surgery. He has six goals and six assists in 17 games since returning. He has three goals and three assists in his last seven games.
• Sudbury forward Alex Pharand, a fourth-round pick in 2024, has elevated his game this season. After having 17 goals and 13 assists in 68 games last season, he’s produced 15 goals and 28 assists in 37 games this season. He could be someone the Blackhawks look to sign for next season.
(Photo of Artyom Levshunov: Nathan Vestal / Rockford IceHogs)
