Belarusian hockey player, who struggled in recent NHL games, is being moved to individual training
Chicago has determined the further development plan for 20-year-old defenseman Artyom Levshunov.
Artyom Levshunov, photo: x.com/NHLBlackhawks
The club intends to adjust his playing load and focus on individual work on key game components, writes 'Belarusian Hockey'.
The Belarusian regularly played for Chicago since his debut in the National Hockey League last season, but has recently encountered serious difficulties.
In the last nine games, the defenseman did not record a single point, and in the previous game, Levshunov set a Belarusian anti-record in the NHL for a negative plus-minus rating ('—5') in a single game (meaning the team conceded five goals while he was on the ice).
Moreover, Artyom entered the top three worst NHL players, with a season plus-minus rating of '—27'; only Brock Boeser (Vancouver) and MacKenzie Weegar (Calgary) have worse plus-minus ratings in the League, both at '—30'.
The coaching staff notes Artyom's problems in defensive play, including gap control, stick work, and positioning, which opponents have actively exploited.
Levshunov was benched for the game against Columbus. It is also expected that until the Olympic break, he will receive minimal playing time or not play at all.
Before the Olympic break, Chicago will play two games: on February 3, the team will host San Jose, and on February 5, they will play away against Columbus.
Chicago head coach Geoff Blashill confirmed that a separate training program has been prepared for Levshunov. It includes three key areas: shooting, puck play, and defensive actions.
— We don't believe that at this stage he needs to go to the farm club and get more playing practice. He needs time to reset the basic elements of his game, — Blashill stated.
This season, Artyom has played 51 games, scored 21 points (2 goals and 19 assists), has a plus-minus rating of '—27', and 32 penalty minutes. After the last game, his pointless streak reached nine consecutive games.
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