Blackhawks trade for Dmitry Kuzmin, a good friend of top prospect Artyom Levshunov
Blackhawks top defenseman prospect Artyom Levshunov finally has someone in Rockford who can speak his native language.
The Hawks traded depth defenseman Isaak Phillips to the Jets on Wednesday for defenseman prospect Dmitry Kuzmin.
Levshunov and Kuzmin are good friends who train together during the summer in Florida, said agent Dan Milstein, who represents both. They hail from Belarus and played for the national youth teams as teenagers, albeit a few years apart. They also played together on Belarus’ team in an international tournament in 2022.
There’s an open room in Levshunov’s house in Rockford that Frank Nazar used to live in (forward prospect Paul Ludwinski also lives there), and Hawks interim coach Anders Sorensen suggested it might soon have a new occupant. Rockford previously didn’t have any native Russian speakers on its roster.
Kuzmin’s presence could be helpful for Levshunov’s office development and comfort level during the second half of the No. 2 overall draft pick’s first professional season.
Kuzmin isn’t a heralded prospect. He tallied four points in 21 games for the Jets’ AHL affiliate this season and split 2023-24 between the AHL and ECHL.
Phillips, 23, had logged 56 NHL appearances with the Hawks over the last four seasons, including three this season.
But he had begun to be surpassed on the depth chart by the organization’s plethora of defenseman prospects, and that was only going to continue. He has eight points in 28 AHL games this season.
“[Isaak] has been a good player, both in Rockford and here,” Sorensen said. “So if it’s a fresh start for him, [I’m] excited for him.”
Maroon’s future unclear
Veteran forward Pat Maroon was traded from the Wild to the Bruins before the trade deadline last season, and another move is possible this year. Although he has only two goals and eight assists in 40 games, his vast playoff experience and grittiness could be appealing to a contender.
He’s not as likely as someone such as Taylor Hall to be traded, though. For one thing, Maroon’s wife is pregnant with a due date in late April, which would complicate a move to a playoff-bound team.
“We haven’t really put thought into it,” Maroon said Monday. “Right now, I’m with the Blackhawks, and my focus is right here on trying to get some wins and build something before the deadline.”
Jones takes blame
Veteran defenseman Seth Jones didn’t speak to reporters after his terrible performance Monday against the Flames, but he talked after practice Tuesday — and he said the right things.
He admitted his power-play turnover that led to a Flames short-handed goal was a “boneheaded play” that “destroyed the momentum.” And he opened up somewhat when asked how he felt about some Hawks fans booing whenever he touched the puck later in the game.
“We’re not putting the product on the ice that we want to, and I’ll gladly take the blame for that,” Jones said. “That’s what comes with the territory of the contract that I got, and I’m willing to stand in front of that. It’s unfortunate.
“The losing obviously doesn’t help any of that at all, and the position we’ve been in the last few years. But [I’ll] start with myself, and we can always find a way to be better.”
Next up
Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar will skate alongside each other on the first line Thursday at the Predators. It’s the team’s annual “Dads’ Trip,” which could provide some much-needed fun and happiness.