Michigan State Hockey signs replacement for Artyom Levshunov

It didn’t take Adam Nightingale long to find a replacement for Artyom Levshunov for Michigan State Hockey.

In case you’ve been living completely isolated for the past few weeks, Levshunov was selected No. 2 overall in the 2024 NHL Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks and decided to sign a contract to stay with the organization, passing up the chance to return to Michigan State for another season.

Nightingale knew he had to do something to counteract that decision and complete the roster for the 2024–25 Big Ten title defense season.

That’s exactly what he did on Tuesday by signing a star defenseman from the USHL.

The Spartans have signed Vladislav Lukashevich from the USHL for the upcoming season. According to Nathaniel Bott, he was the third-best scorer in the league with 11 goals and 32 assists.

Additionally, he was on the All-USHL second team and was selected in the fourth round of the 2024 NHL Draft by the Florida Panthers. This was one of those additions that may not seem like much right now, but it could be the difference between making the NCAA Tournament and a run to the Frozen Four. This gives Michigan State a talented replacement for one of the best defensemen in the country.

Although it will be nearly impossible to replace Levshunov as he is one of the best in the country at his craft, Trey Augustine can rest easy knowing he now has a solid defender to strengthen the roster and protect the goal.

Michigan State hockey improved again on Tuesday, folks.