On Monday morning, the Chicago Blackhawks unfortunately had to place defenseman Louis Crevier on IR (concussion protocol). He was boarded in the middle of the first period Saturday in Florida and left the game. He did not return.
The Blackhawks were already carrying eight defensemen, so this opens up a spot for one of Ethan Del Mastro or Nolan Allan (even better: both!) to get into the lineup. However, the Blackhawks are making a roster move.
Artyom Levshunov, the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, is coming to the NHL.
For… practice.
The Blackhawks recalled Levshunov on Monday. But the plan is not for him to play in NHL games. Rockford is on the AHL All-Star Break; they don’t have another game until Friday, Feb. 7. So the Blackhawks are bringing Levshunov to Chicago to practice with the NHL squad for a few days.
Here’s what Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said about the move on Monday:
“With the AHL currently in their All-Star break, we felt this would be a good opportunity for Arty’s development to come and get some NHL-level practice experience, something he was not able to do during training camp this season due to injury. While we don’t expect him to see any game action during his recall, we’re confident the experience will be a positive one for Arty as he continues on his development path.”
Levshunov, 19, has three goals and 10 assists in 38 games with the IceHogs.