Levshunov 2568x1444

ESSENTIALS

RANKING: 2nd North American Skater (Central Scouting)
POSITION: D
AMATEUR CLUB: Michigan State University (NCAA)
HEIGHT: 6-2
WEIGHT: 209
SHOOTS: R
COUNTRY: BLR

2023-24 STATS: 38 GP, 9 G, 26 A, 35 PTS, +27, 44 PIM

SCOUTING REPORTS

"Levshunov led the Spartans in scoring as a freshman defenceman with 9G-25A in 36GP before the NCAA tournament. Levshunov is a coveted right-shot defenceman. He’s very active offensively, pinching down to extend plays and jumping into the rush every time he identifies an opportunity. His defensive zone detail is a work in progress, but he has posted a plus-26 rating so far this season."
-Jason Bukala, Sportsnet

"Levshunov finished his NCAA campaign as one of the highest scoring draft eligible defensemen in history; not bad for a kid who was playing in Belarus 2 years ago! The growth he’s made is staggering and he’s defined himself as one of the more “toolsy” players of this years draft. His combination of size, speed and skill should see him go very early on draft day; but he’s not without his concerns. Levshunov is still adjusting to the NA game, and while it has improved, the unrefined defensive game and some poor habits still plague viewings. That said, it’s very reassuring that Levshunov has shown the effort and ability to improve as the season has gone on. He’s not likely to be ready out the gate, but given some time an NHL team should be able to carve him into a top 4 defenseman with relative ease. If his offensive game can adapt or translate to the NHL, he can be headlining his franchise’s d-core for years to come.
-David Saad, Dobber Prospects

"Levshunov’s profile checks a lot of the boxes that teams are looking for in a high-end defenceman. He’s a righty with an extremely imposing and physically mature build already. He’s a smooth skater with plus-level four-way mobility (including a long, gazelle-like stride the length of the ice). Though he was a little green defensively when he arrived in the USHL, he has made fast progress and has really figured it out over the last two years (which included becoming a top penalty killer with the Gamblers after not starting there last year, and leading the Spartans in time on ice this year). His ceiling defensively is sky-high with the right development. That ceiling is led by a physical nature that regularly sees him bowl over opposing players (even on reverse hits) and outmuscle in 50/50 battles."
-Scott Wheeler, The Athletic