2024 NHL Draft Prospect Roundup: Artyom Levshunov is the real deal

Credit: MSU Athletic Communications

Last week, top 2024 NHL Draft prospects Macklin Celebrini and Cole Eiserman were the focus, and for good reason. They’re pretty damn good.

In August, Ivan Demidov stole the spotlight – again, for good reason. He was playing well above expectations during the KHL preseason and deserved all the hype he was getting at the time.

Now, it’s Artyom Levshunov’s turn.

Levshunov is one of the youngest players in college hockey, beating out just Macklin Celebrini and Zeev Buium as a late 2005-born defender. After an incredible rookie season with the Green Bay Gamblers last year, Levshunov made a late commitment to join the Michigan State University Spartans for 2023-24 in a potential one-and-done situation. If all goes well, I could easily see him challenging for an NHL spot next season.

Learn about Levshunov and other 2024 NHL Draft prospects you need to know below – with two players appearing in Daily Faceoff’s preseason rankings released last month:

NCAA

– Defensemen will never receive the same respect near the top of the draft board as their forward counterparts, especially when the guys you’re up against are putting up ridiculous numbers. Artyom Levshunov (No. 3) is the best defenseman in the NHL Draft and deserves praise for his point-per-game output through six contests. That includes three points in two games against Canisius over the weekend in a pair of victories. Michigan State hasn’t had to face elite competition by any means, but Levshunov is showing signs of someone capable of challenging for an NHL spot next year with pro-level instincts and puck skills. Plus, there’s no shortage of teams looking for mobile, two-way defenders at 6-foot-2.

OHL

– After highlighting two Mississauga Steelheads players last week, here’s another: rookie defenseman Jakub Fibigr. The Czech-born defender stood out at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and started the OHL season on the top pairing. So far, so good. He scored on his first shot on his first shift and is now up to 11 points in 11 games while playing in all situations for the Steelheads. The puck-moving defenseman looks faster and more engaged than I remember him on the bigger ice last year and deserves all the praise the scouting community is giving him.

– I’m not sure what to make of Oshawa Generals defender Ben Danford just yet. On the one hand, he had an ugly Hlinka Gretzky Cup where he got beat way too often in the defensive zone. On the other hand, watching him with Oshawa, he just looks much more composed with the puck than I remember last year. He could have a bit of a free-wheeling style to him, where he tried to play above his offensive capabilities at times. And while he only has three assists to show for right now, he’s more engaged offensively than he was a year ago and does a nice job of reading the play on a breakout. Danford’s real strong point is his own-zone play, but I like the confidence we’re seeing from him this season.

QMJHL

– A noted goal-scorer, it was surprising to see Maxim Massé (No. 15) score just one goal in his first nine games. He still was a consistent point producer, with a point-per-game in that span, but pucks just weren’t going in. That changed last week with six goals in three games, including a pair of three-point efforts over the weekend. The Chicoutimi Sagueneens forward is projected to go in the first round this year, and many expect at least 40 goals from him. It’s good to see him looking dangerous again.

WHL

One of the biggest questions among WHL draft-eligibles this year: could Tanner Howe escape Connor Bedard’s shadow and steer his own path with the Regina Pats? We’re 13 games in, and it’s mission accomplished. Howe is on pace for 100 points after scoring eight goals and 19 points in 13 games, including five points over a two-game span this past week. He’s had a few zeros this year, but Howe is seventh in league scoring while doing much of the heavy lifting for the club this year. Regina doesn’t have a single NHL-drafted prospect, but Howe’s looking to become yet another first-rounder for the club.

USHL

– I didn’t include Christian Humphreys in my first-round rankings, but that’ll likely change with my next update. With 15 points in 12 games, Humphreys has filled the top center role alongside Cole Eiserman on the USNTDP’s line and, clearly, the results are evident. Humphreys plays with confidence, has strong puck control and positions himself well in front of the net. Interestingly, Humphreys recently left his commitment at Michigan State to join the University of Michigan next year.

– One of the most standout performances from my early seasoning viewings this year was when Matvei Gridin scored twice against the USNTDP on Sept. 29. After scoring a hat-trick against Omaha in his season debut, he was up to seven points in three games at that point, and he just had another four-point effort against the USNTDP over the weekend. With 16 points in just nine games, he’s about to obliterate his rookie season output of 21 points from last year. He wasn’t on my radar before this year, but the 6-foot-1 forward has everything going for him right now.

OJHL

I’ve been keeping a close eye on the OJHL the past bit, with a few notable names looking to potentially make noise in the latter rounds. St. Michael’s Buzzers forward Jonathan Morello has received some solid praise from scouts, especially after scoring a hat-trick against Aurora on Saturday. The 6-foot-1 forward has 12 goals and 22 points in 18 games while playing a solid two-way game. Consistency can be an issue, and there isn’t anything that really allows him to stand out. Still, his work ethic is something that’ll allow him to make noise at Clarkson University and potentially become a solid depth piece one day.

Sweden U-20

– Just how good has Noel Fransén been so far? He’s up to 21 points in 17 games with Farjestad’s U-20 team, good for third in scoring among draft-eligible prospects and seven points clear of the second-best defenseman. The best part: 13 of them are goals, including seven in the past five games, to lead all draft-eligibles. For reference, 2023 Detroit Red Wings first-rounder Axel Sandin-Pellikka had 16 goals in 31 games last year. I’m not sure where he’ll end up in the draft, but, clearly, scoring is his forte. A hidden gem, maybe?

Finland U-18

– Goaltender Petteri Rimpinen had quite the workload this past weekend, starting a pair of games for Kiekko-Espoo’s U-18 team. He looked excellent with 46 saves in a 3-2 loss on Friday before stopping 32 in a win the following evening. Rimpinen had a handful of solid runs in the U-20 league the past few weeks too as playing time continues to be the No. 1 focus for the six-foot Finnish keeper. He seems to play better with the more shots he faces, too.

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