Artyom Levshunov, the Chicago Blackhawks' first-round draft pick last year, set to make his NHL debut
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Artyom Levshunov seemed more than just relaxed about his NHL debut tonight in Colorado, he seemed borderline cocky.
How many times has Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon left a blueliner shaking in their skates — right before he breaks their ankles?
But not a smidgeon of nerves were detectable from Levshunov, the Blackhawks' No. 2 pick in last summer's draft.
'Why? It's hockey, it's (a) hockey game,' he said with a laugh. 'I've got to go and do my job, play hard, work hard and try to help the team. Play for (the) win.'
That's not that he doesn't have reverence for one of the league's elites.
'Oh yeah, he's such a good player,' Levshunov said of MacKinnon. 'He's so fast. We should beat him tonight.'
That's probably not conceit, likely the native Belarusian's attempt to say the Hawks should aspire to beat the Avs, the nuance lost in translation.
Nor is Levshunov minimizing a career milestone.
'I was waiting for this (a) long time,' he said. 'I'm so happy, so excited. Yeah, can't wait to start playing.'
He said he's dreamed of this moment 'all of my hockey life. For sure it's unbelievable to make a debut tonight.'
Hawks interim head coach Anders Sorensen will pair Levshunov with the Hawks' most senior defenseman, Alec Martinez.
But make no mistake, Levshunov is being thrown into the deep end of the pool against the Avalanche.
'Yeah, let's get after it, right?' Sorensen said. 'This is the NHL, right? You want to be in the NHL, you're going to play the best.'
Levshunov, 19, was called up Sunday after racking up five goals and 17 assists in 50 games for the Rockford IceHogs. He had been called up in February to get some practice time with the NHL team but did not see game action.
He said coaches want to see him play smart, fast and hard.
Sorensen added, 'Just play his game, trust his instincts, and as we go along here … you don't want to give him too much information.'
Levshunov has already boiled all that prep work down to its essence: 'Just play good hockey.'
Meanwhile, the Hawks activated forward Jason Dickinson (left ankle) from injured reserve after missing 11 games.
He's slated to join Connor Bedard and Colton Dach on the top line, while Frank Nazar centers Landon Slaggert and Nick Foligno.
Dickinson has 'felt good for the last week here, (he) has been close and had some really good practices and some skates,' Sorensen said. 'He looked good today.'
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He averaged 17.6 points and seven rebounds while shooting 46 percent from the field and 34 percent from 3. But his style of play did not seem conducive to winning basketball. He settles for a lot of long jumpers because he struggles to get to the rim (he has a high handle and high center of gravity that gets knocked off its line too easily). Defensively, he wasn't always engaged in help situations unless he saw an opportunity to go get the basketball. But Rutgers was a catastrophe when Bailey wasn't on the court. Even in Big Ten play, the Scarlet Knights lost Bailey's minutes by only three points per 100 possessions. When he was off the court, they lost those minutes by 23 points per 100, per CBB Analytics. Bailey is enormous, he's long, he is a real shooter, and he showed some defensive moments that were very positive in switch situations. If I were running the Jazz, I'd probably sit back and take the guy I liked most out of Bailey, Johnson and Kon Knueppel who falls to them. 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He creates advantages in ball screens and is dynamic in how he gets to his spots. But I question his finishing ability, his shooting (after hitting 27 percent from 3 this year), and his total lack of defensive game. Still, if you believe in your developmental staff in those areas, there is undeniably a lot to work with. Jakučionis is big and can play both on and off the ball, coming off a terrific freshman season in which he averaged 15 points, six rebounds and five assists. His vision is sublime, and he fits the current ecosystem of the NBA well with his dribble, pass and shoot traits. Still, he doesn't have a ton of athletic explosiveness, and his defensive game was not always on point this year. His range is seen as somewhere from the middle to the end of the lottery. Advertisement What I like about Jakučionis for the Nets is the flexibility he provides. They certainly need a lead guard and a playmaker of the future. If they choose to keep Cam Thomas, I like Jakučionis' ability to play off him with his size and passing ability mixed with Thomas' scoring firepower. However, since the Nets have four first-round picks, his versatility matters. Jakučionis playing on the ball means that they don't have to prioritize getting a point guard. However, his ability to also shift off the ball means they would then have the flexibility later to take a lead guard if one were the best player available. With Jakob Poeltl potentially hitting free agency next year, the Raptors could use a long-term answer at center. Many people around the league have connected Maluach here because of his time at the NBA Academy in Africa and Masai Ujiri's efforts to promote basketball within the region. Maluach isn't a monster shot-blocker, but he understands how big he is and is excellent at using his size to cut off angles and contest on the interior. Offensively, there are more questions, largely about his hands and overall feel for the game. He started playing basketball late and is still working on how to see the floor around him. He also doesn't always come down with contested rebounds, as was starkly seen in Duke's Final Four game against Houston, when he played 20 minutes and had zero rebounds. Still, someone will take the bet on a player who's 7-1 with long arms and movement skills. The Rockets are loaded across each position. They have a team option on veteran point guard Fred VanVleet and drafted their point guard of the future in Reed Sheppard at No. 3 last year; the organization is still extremely high on Sheppard despite his lack of playing time this year. They have their center of the future in Alperen Şengün. I think they will just take the best player available, and at this spot, that's Murray-Boyles. He's a tremendous defender and would fit in perfectly with how Ime Udoka wants to play. He also passes well and has serious toughness to play with many of their players. He processes the game at an elite level and is the kind of prospect the Rockets have valued in the past. Other teams across the league are under the impression that this pick could be moved in the right circumstances, especially in a deal for a star in which Houston consolidates talent. Bryant didn't start many games this year at Arizona, but he was a monster defensive player when he was on the court, showcasing serious playmaking chops as well as great on-ball play. He also knocks down a solid percentage of his 3s. Bryant is one of the guys in this class who has a ton of juice when you talk to front offices, and it wouldn't surprise me to see him land in the top 10. I'd park his range in the No. 7 to No. 16 area. The Blazers want flexible, versatile players under this front office led by Joe Cronin. Think about Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara and others. They've also built a potential style of play on the defensive end led by Camara, an All-Defense selection this season, Avdija and last year's first-round selection on the interior in Donovan Clingan. Bryant would give them even more optionality across the perimeter as they work to figure out what they have in Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe as creators. Advertisement Bulls president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas was in Denver when the team drafted Nikola Jokić, and one of his first moves as the lead decision-maker in Chicago was to trade a significant package of assets for Nikola Vučević. He is near the end of his career and only has one year left on his contract. Queen would be a sharp replacement for Vučević. The read coming from sources on the Bulls is that they want to continue to build off the style of play they put forth this season. Chicago wants to play uptempo with a high-energy style under Billy Donovan that involves all five players on the court being able to dribble, pass and shoot. The Maryland big man would fit that quite well, as he's at his best in transition in grab-and-go situations off the glass. He'd have no issues playing at the kind of speed that the Bulls want and would thrive in such an offense. Defensively, there would be concerns, and the Bulls should not be immune to that. But if he falls, it's hard to find a better offensive fit for them. The Hawks have brought in a strong front office under Onsi Saleh, including recent hires Peter Dinwiddie from the Sixers and Bryson Graham from the Pelicans. It remains to be seen if they veer from their recent course of picking long, athletic players to play next to Trae Young — the team has an important decision to make on Young this summer regarding a potential extension — but Saleh is regarded as sharp from a strategic perspective, and he'll likely continue the team's current strategy. Beringer possesses the kind of skill set as a rim-runner and shot-blocker that would work with Young. He's still a project, to be clear. He's new to basketball — having just started playing within the last four years — but it's very hard to find players like this with real size and length in addition to fluid athletic movement and explosive leaping ability. NBA teams are quite high on him, and his range would seem to be the back half of the lottery until about No. 23. I've been saying that Coward would be the clear riser in this draft class since early April, and that seems to have borne itself out throughout the process. Though he committed to Duke this spring after entering the transfer portal, it felt exceedingly unlikely he was going to pull out of the draft given his tools and shot-making ability. His balance and fluidity are special for a player who is nearly 6-6 with a 7-2 wingspan. Everything in the kinetic chain with Coward is perfect. Everything is in one motion and clean with the jumper, with easy, repeatable mechanics to pair with touch. He seems to have added some explosiveness, too. The Spurs could use more wings to pair with their cache of guards and Wembanyama, particularly ones who can really shoot it. The one thing that has been noted to me by league sources throughout the league is that San Antonio could move this pick if its preferred targets aren't on the board. The Spurs could take a similar approach as last year, when they traded the No. 8 pick for draft capital down the road. One of my favorite ideas is for the Spurs to trade this pick to New Orleans for some of the Milwaukee Bucks' draft capital over the next two years in case Antetokounmpo becomes available in a deal in the next 12 months. The second apron in this collective bargaining agreement comes for every contender with no exceptions. The Thunder are as well-positioned to deal with that as any team in the future, but it will still likely result in some attrition from this current roster as Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams start to become expensive in the 2026-27 season. Isaiah Hartenstein's massive deal has a team option after next season, and it's hard to see how that will be workable for them financially once those deals, along with an extension for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, hit the books. Advertisement Sorber is a massive player and would tick some boxes for Sam Presti and company. He's fluid and coordinated at 6-9, but moreover, he possesses a 7-6 wingspan that allows him to play well above his size. He's also sharp as a passer and processor in the way that the Thunder like. He'd be a perfect developmental big for them over the next year to learn behind Hartenstein before potentially taking over that role in his second or third year. Do I think this pick makes a ton of sense? I don't. But the Magic under president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman tend to have a type, and they tend to value players with elite positional size and skill. It worked out immensely well when drafting Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, and it also applies to guys like Anthony Black, Jett Howard and Tristan da Silva. Demin can play the point and is the best passer in the class. His vision is sublime. But he struggled to score this year. He struggled to get paint touches because his handle is not particularly developed, and he doesn't have the threat of the jumper to fall back on, having made under 30 percent from distance. Still, many teams think they can fix the jumper, and if so, it would open up the rest of his game as a passer and playmaker. I'm a bit lower on Demin than this, but evaluators who love him tend to love him. He had a strong workout in Chicago in front of NBA executives, but that steam seems to have died down a bit over the last month. He could go anywhere from the back half of the lottery to No. 21. The Timberwolves have questions forthcoming in the frontcourt over the next couple of years. Julius Randle has a player option this summer. Naz Reid is a free agent. Rudy Gobert turns 33 this month. Essengue is starting to turn things on in Germany for Ulm, with strong outings throughout the team's playoff run. The 6-9 forward is a terrific athlete who moves exceedingly well. He's the second-youngest player in this draft class behind Flagg and is averaging 12 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocks per game since Jan. 22. The German league is not the strongest competition in Europe by any stretch, but it's impressive that he's been this good in big moments for a strong team. The questions here are largely around his polish. The jumper is starting to fall, but there are mechanical issues regarding his base and balance that teams think will take a lot of time to work through, despite his solid touch. And while his defensive playmaking numbers are strong and he's shown improvement throughout the year, his overall impact on that end isn't that high. He gets beaten more often off the bounce than you'd expect for his level of athleticism, and his help instincts waver. Still, he's a young player coming along well. Don't expect Essengue to be a valuable player next year in the NBA, but he could develop into one of the better players in this draft class if he lands with the right organization. The Sixers got this pick in the projected trade I made to get the Wizards up to No. 4. Wolf is something that Philadelphia doesn't have beyond Joel Embiid, a creative big man who can legitimately play with the ball in his hands. He's a creator at nearly 7-feet tall and can play in ball screens as a ballhandler or pass and make plays. He averaged 13 points, 10 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, though he had a turnover problem owing to a high handle and wild decision-making. Defensively, there are also some questions, although I think that his overall movement skill has been underrated. Advertisement The Sixers need another option as a backup big man, and Wolf could be a particularly fun bench option with Yabusele if they're able to retain him in free agency. Wolf also should be able to play power forward in some lineups, which would give the team even more potential flexibility as it looks to mix and match lineup-wise against the Eastern Conference's best teams. McNeeley had an impactful freshman season for the Huskies, but his role wasn't all that actualized for what he's capable of doing. McNeeley averaged 14.5 points but shot just 38 percent from the field and 32 percent from 3 this year despite a reputation that would make you believe he is a serious shooter. He often played on the ball when his best role — as seen by when he played with Flagg, Queen and a star-studded team at Montverde (Fla.) Academy in high school — is off the ball. McNeeley drilled 43 percent of his unguarded catch-and-shoot 3s for UConn. However, only about 40 percent of his attempts off the catch were open looks. He also only hit 13 percent of his pull-up 3s because he struggles to separate with his handle. NBA teams love McNeeley's competitiveness and his character. There's a real belief that once a team gets him into the right role, you'll see the jumper get back to the elite level it was in high school. He'd work for the Nets as a shooter and floor-spacer, something every rebuilding team needs on the wing. Richardson is a good bet from a talent perspective. Over his final 15 games, he averaged 16.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists versus only 0.7 turnovers. The reason those games are important is that's the moment when Richardson entered the starting lineup after a terrific first half of the season. Richardson has great touch as a shooter and scorer but is still developing his lead guard skills. He's not that great of a passer, and he's not good with his right hand. Most of Michigan State's actions involved getting the ball into his left hand and putting him in advantageous actions. But Miami is about as good as anyone at devising sharp actions to take advantage of players' specific skills. Riley also fits the profile of prospects the Jazz have drafted recently, although Ainge's presence could change things. Still, a large portion of the front office was in place for the last few drafts, and Riley's potential score at a high level should be intriguing. I loved his growth throughout the season offensively. He's a fearless driver despite his lack of size, which is ultimately the biggest question about his game. He needs to add weight and strength and continue working on his defense. But the skill set is real, and he has enough touch that you can project him as a shooter even if it takes him some time. Clifford had about as strong a close to the season as any player, leading Colorado State from the middle of the Mountain West in January to the cusp of the Sweet 16 if not for a Derik Queen game-winner as time expired in the Round of 32. From Feb. 8 onward, Clifford averaged 21.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, five assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 51 percent from the field, 47 percent from 3 and 80 percent from the line. The Hawks have strategized to build their team around skilled, two-way wings to pair with Young, and Clifford would represent another option there, as well as someone who at least has potential to handle the ball. Given that Caris LeVert is a free agent, Clifford would be a strong selection at this point. Teams are also tracking the Hawks trading up or down from their two selections in the first round. The Pacers are in the NBA Finals but could use another backup center option to replace Thomas Bryant and Tony Bradley. Kalkbrenner is massive at 7-1 and is an expert in drop coverage with his angles and length. He'd allow the team to essentially play the same scheme with both Myles Turner (assuming he sticks around in free agency) and his backup. Advertisement Kalkbrenner averaged 19 points and nine rebounds this year and has consistently been one of the best defensive players in the country over the last four years, winning the Big East's Defensive Player of the Year award in each season. The Thunder have a significant roster crunch, and it will be difficult to bring in two rookies next season unless they move off some of their recent draft picks. I would expect them to look to either stash or trade one of these picks. González is a tremendous athlete and has started to get some playing time for the Real Madrid senior team as a teenager. He plays incredibly hard all of the time. He's one of those dudes who always gives second and third efforts across the board, both on offense and defense, to get loose balls. González shows some on-ball ability, but it's going to take time for him to get to the NBA level with it. He's good enough to be an impactful defender and off-ball player. However, he's going to have to make 3s. So far this year, he's only made 29 percent, and it's never been consistent. Clayton was the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament. He averaged 18 points and four assists this year while shooting 45 percent from the field, 39 percent from 3 and 88 percent from the line. His shot-making is truly special. He can get to his shot from any footwork or any angle on the court, especially from distance. He's comfortable using a change-of-pace dribble to get to a stepback and can also attack and drive off that to score around the rim. The questions are twofold. First, his ball-screen reads weren't always on point. He was terrific against Houston in the championship game, but the picture often looked cloudy with his decision-making. Then, on defense, is he too far in-between positions? He got better as a senior but wasn't always reliable throughout his college career. That's concerning for an older, undersized player. Still, teams love Clayton's toughness, and I would expect to hear his name called in the first round. With this pick, the Magic get their shooter and floor-spacer, but league sources have also noted that Orlando could look to the trade market for some offensive help, using one of their two picks. Traoré rebounded well from a tough start to his pro season in France. From Jan. 15 to April 6, Traoré averaged 13 points and four assists while shooting 50 percent from the field, 35 percent from 3 and 79 percent from the line. His overall numbers on the year aren't that strong, but it's worth remembering that he's a teenager playing professional basketball for a full season for the first time. Advertisement I think it's very possible he'll be on the board for the Nets when they pick at No. 19. Here, they get lucky and get him all the way down at No. 26 as a real value pick with potential to be very valuable down the road. This is a perfect fit for Newell. He's an all-energy big who was extremely productive at Georgia this year, averaging 15.4 points and seven rebounds as a freshman. However, his skills aren't exactly tailor-made for the NBA. He's a bit stuck positionally between the four and the five, and he doesn't possess a ton of length. He's also not that skilled as a shooter or ballhandler. The Nets could develop him slowly while also giving him playing time to let his energy wreak havoc on opposing teams. Raynaud would be a strong fit for Boston as a big who can dribble, pass and shoot. The Celtics' scheme values players like this, as they prefer to play five-out offensively. Raynaud was among the most productive players in the country this year, averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds per game, and he's gotten better every season in college. The key will be on defense, where Raynaud does not move particularly well and could be a liability in space. He had a terrific combine game in front of several NBA scouts, but some NBA executives in attendance pointed out that he played against the least-developed player in attendance in Croatian teenager Michael Ruzic. Fleming very much looks the part at 6-8 with a 7-5 wingspan. He's also got great leaping ability and a chiseled frame that allows him to play with force and strength on both ends. He averaged 15 points, eight rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.5 blocks per game, and drilled 39 percent from 3. The idea here is a 3-and-D forward who can potentially be switchable across the positional spectrum while also drilling 3s. But he doesn't yet process things happening around him on the court quickly. But any team that values the frame and shooting potential will be interested in Fleming. Powell has some momentum to end up somewhere in the back half of the first round because of his defense. Nobody guarded Flagg as well as Powell did this season. He's just a long way away on offense, as he's not that comfortable as a shooter or that capable as a ballhandler. It's going to take him some time to play at the NBA level, even with his defensive skill. Still, he's 6-5 with a 7-foot wingspan and is the kind of player the Clippers value as a tough-minded defender. 31. Minnesota Timberwolves (via UTA): Noah Penda | 6-7 forward | 20 years old | Le Mans 32. Boston Celtics (via Washington): Kam Jones | 6-3 wing | 22 years old | Marquette Advertisement 33. PROJECTED TRADE: Philadelphia 76ers (via CHA): Adou Thiero | 6-6 wing | 21 years old | Arkansas 34. Charlotte Hornets (via NOP): Ben Saraf | 6-5 guard | 19 years old | Ratiopharm Ulm 35. Philadelphia 76ers: Yanic Konan Niederhauser | 6-11 big | 22 years old | Penn State 36. Brooklyn Nets: Tyrese Proctor | 6-4 guard | 21 years old | Duke 37. Detroit Pistons (via Toronto): John Tonje | 6-5 wing | 23 years old | Wisconsin 38. San Antonio Spurs: Alex Toohey | 6-7 wing/forward | 21 years old | Sydney Kings 39. Toronto Raptors (via Portland): Rocco Zikarsky | 7-3 big | 19 years old | Brisbane Bullets 40. Washington Wizards (via Phoenix): Sion James | 6-4 guard | 23 years old | Duke 41. Golden State Warriors (via Miami): Johni Broome | 6-9 big | 22 years old| Auburn 42. Sacramento Kings (via Chicago): Bogoljub Markovic | 6-10 forward | 19 years old | Mega 43. Utah Jazz (via Dallas): Alijah Martin | 6-1 guard | 23 years old | Florida 44. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Atlanta): Hansen Yang | 7-1 center | 20 years old | Qingdao 45. Chicago Bulls (via Sacramento): Micah Peavy | 6-6 wing | 23 years old | Georgetown 46. Orlando Magic: Max Shulga | 6-4 guard | 23 years old | VCU 47. Milwaukee Bucks (via Detroit): Chaz Lanier | 6-4 wing | 24 years old | Tennessee 48. Memphis Grizzlies (via Golden State): Vladislav Goldin | 7-0 center | 22 years old | Michigan 49. Cleveland Cavaliers (via Milwaukee): Koby Brea | 6-6 wing | 22 years old | Kentucky 50. New York Knicks (via Memphis): Jamir Watkins | 6-5 wing | 23 years old | Florida State 51. LA Clippers (via Minnesota): Kobe Sanders | 6-7 wing | 23 years old | Nevada 52. Phoenix Suns (via Denver): Chucky Hepburn | 6-0 guard | 22 years old | Louisville 53. Utah Jazz (via LA Clippers): Lachlan Olbrich | 6-9 big | 21 years old | Illawarra Hawks Advertisement 54. Indiana Pacers: Brooks Barnhizer | 6-5 wing | 23 years old | Northwestern 55. Los Angeles Lakers: Hunter Sallis | 6-4 guard | 22 years old | Wake Forest 56. Memphis Grizzlies (via Houston): RJ Luis | 6-6 wing | 22 years old | St. John's 57. Orlando Magic (via Boston): Ryan Nembhard | 5-11 guard | 22 years old | Gonzaga 58. Cleveland Cavaliers: Dink Pate | 6-6 guard | 19 years old | Mexico City Capitanes 59. Houston Rockets (via Oklahoma City): Amari Williams | 6-10 big | 23 years old | Kentucky (Note: The New York Knicks have forfeited their 2025 second-round pick because of free-agency shenanigans.) (Illustration: Will Tullos / The Athletic; photos of, from left, VJ Edgecombe, Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey: Melissa Tamez and Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
USA Today
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Panthers vs. Oilers Stanley Cup Final Game 4: Injured players, inactives, latest updates
Panthers vs. Oilers Stanley Cup Final Game 4: Injured players, inactives, latest updates The Florida Panthers (47-31-4) are monitoring zero players on the injury report ahead of Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers (48-29-5) at Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday, June 12 at 8 p.m. ET. Stream NHL games and originals all season long on ESPN+! Panthers vs. Oilers game info Date: Thursday, June 12, 2025 Thursday, June 12, 2025 Time: 8 p.m. ET 8 p.m. ET TV channel: TNT TNT Location: Sunrise, Florida Sunrise, Florida Venue: Amerant Bank Arena NHL odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Wednesday at 9:38 p.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. Favorite: Panthers (-150) Panthers (-150) Underdog: Oilers (+125) Oilers (+125) Total: 6.5 Panthers injury report June 12 No injuries listed. Oilers injury report June 12 Alec Regula | D (Out) Injury: Knee Knee Games played: 0 0 Stats: 0 goals, 0 assists, 0 points Zach Hyman | LW (Out) Injury: Upper Body Upper Body Games played: 73 73 Stats: 27 goals, 17 assists, 44 points Ryan Nugent-Hopkins | C (Day-To-Day) Injury: Undisclosed Undisclosed Games played: 78 78 Stats: 20 goals, 29 assists, 49 points Watch the NHL on Fubo!
