CHICAGO -- Artyom Levshunov strides toward the podium, the affable defenseman leaning his forearms against the podium as he addresses the media.

"So far, so good," the Chicago Blackhawks' second overall pick in the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft said during development camp Wednesday. "No, everything is good. We're practicing, we're meeting with everybody."

This is the second consecutive summer that the Cheap Chicago Blackhawks Jerseys development camp has taken place entirely off the ice. There were no skates, practices or scrimmages. As a result, Levshunov took the opportunity to meet some potential future teammates, take some cooking classes, get in some off-ice workouts and relax after the hectic schedule of last weekend's draft in Las Vegas.

"I was pretty nervous. It's going to take a lot of work for me, and being drafted last month, it's been a little bit of a busy time for me, but it's been fun," he said. "We were in Vegas, you know? It was at the Sphere, it was awesome. It was memorable for me, it was a great time."

Levshunov was named the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, and was also named to Michigan State's Big Ten First Team of the Year and Freshman of the Year teams. He was the third-youngest player in men's college field hockey and ranked second nationally among freshmen at his position, and tied for 10th among all defensemen with 35 points (nine goals, 26 assists) in 38 games.

A right-handed shot-stopper, Levshunov led the Big Ten with a +27 rating after playing with a top defensive pairing throughout the season.NHL Chicago Blackhawks Jerseys Assistant General Manager of Player Development Mark Eaton has watched Levshunov play multiple times at Michigan State.

"He's got great size, he skates well, and he's got 'it' qualities, he wants to take the puck away, he wants to be a game changer, he wants to be there when the game matters most," he said.

"And he's not going to be a liability on the defensive end. I think that's key for defenders, he's got 200 feet of playmaking ability. So there's something to like about him in addition to every aspect of his game."

Levshunov is already familiar with several other Chicago Blackhawks recruits with Big Ten ties. That includes center Oliver Moore, the 19th-ranked player by the University of Chicago in the 2023 NHL Draft, and defenseman Sam Rinzel, the 22nd-ranked player by the University of Chicago in the 2022 NHL Draft. Both play for the University of Minnesota.

"He's big, agile and an offensive defenseman," Rinzel said. "You have to be alert when we play them on the ice. He likes to be sneaky, so wherever he is, you have to be aware. Especially a winger or a forward, they have to be at full attention no matter where he is on the ice."

Moore said Levshunov's offensive awareness is one of the first things people notice about him.

"In our pregame scouting and other things, what we've seen of him is that he's got a lot of offense, a lot of jump, but he's also smart," Moore said. "Obviously, his skating ability and size allows him to do a good job of sealing the deal. He's an all-around player and I think the Chicago Blackhawks would definitely love to have him."

Will the Chicago Blackhawks keep him in Chicago or Rockford (their American Hockey League affiliate) this season? Custom Levshunov Jerseys reiterated Wednesday that he hasn't decided if he wants to return to Michigan State. He needs to talk to his family, the Chicago Blackhawks and his agent.

Eaton said keeping Levsunov in Rockford would bring advantages.

"Obviously, being able to be hands-on every day is a huge perk," he said. "That's the principle of how we approach amateur recruits, is to realize that they all play for other coaches. They all play in different systems.

"So if we have the ability to keep him in the company and the great staff that we have at Rockford, our development staff that works with him on a daily basis, starts to close the gap between where he is now and where he needs to go, I think that's just an added benefit."

Where Levshunov goes this fall remains to be seen, but until a decision is made, he'll enjoy the week he spent at development camp.

"We worked on getting to know each other better and trying to get to know each other," he said of his teammates. "It's been a good experience for me and it's been more of a learning week here, so it's been good for our development."