Loss of Artyom Levshunov is a huge one for Michigan State hockey

After over a decade of mediocre play, Michigan State hockey is back near the top of the collegiate hockey world.

A big reason for this return to prominence has been head coach Adam Nightingale and his ability to fill the roster out with talented players at every position. He has a plethora of NHL prospects and one of them, Trey Augustine, just announced recently that he would be returning to Michigan State for another season.

But the Red Wings' goalie prospect isn't the only one who had a big decision to make about his future with the program. Fellow standout Artyom Levshunov was faced with an even tougher decision.

After being selected No. 2 overall in the 2024 NHL Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks, Levshunov had to decide if he was going to sign an entry level contract (ELC) with his new team or return to Michigan State for another season to continue developing.

Well, over the weekend, he officially signed his ELC with the Blackhawks, ensuring that he would not return to Michigan State in 2024-25.

This is a huge loss for Michigan State because Levshunov was one of the best defensemen in the NCAA and he averaged nearly a point per game which isn't common for his position. He was a big reason the Spartans were able to make the drastic turnaround this past season and win both the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles.

Nightingale will replace him with someone talented, but the outlook for 2024-25 took a hit. The Spartans will still be contenders, but it's not going to be a simple task to replace him adequately.

Fortunately, Augustine returns as one of the best goalies in the nation.