T he Chicago Blackhawks believe they drafted a franchise pillar when they selected defenseman Artyom Levshunov out of Michigan State University. After registering 35 points in 38

Artyom Levshunov is expected to be sidelined another four weeks with a right foot injury, but the Chicago Blackhawks defenseman could start skating soon. Levshunov, the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft,

Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson announced that rookie Artyom Levshunov will miss the entire preseason with a lower-body injury and is expected to be out for four weeks.

CHICAGO -- Connor Bedard is much more at ease at Chicago Blackhawks training camp this time, coming off an offseason of calm he didn’t get last year when he was the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.

Chicago drafted Bedard with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL draft and he clearly surpassed even the gaudiest expectations even though he missed 14 games with a broken jaw. Bedard managed to top all NHL rookies in points, ultimately winning the 2023-24 Calder Trophy as the best rookie.

The Chicago Blackhawks opened training camp Thursdasy with the formal introduction of new captain Nick Foligno, who gave a nod to his predecessor, Jonathan Toews.