Michigan State men's ice hockey has received a commitment from right-handed defenseman Artyom Levshunov. He is now listed on MSU's official roster and will suit up and play for the Spartans during the 2023-2024 NCAA season.

Levshunov is 17 years old and will turn 18 midway through the first month of the season. He was most recently with the USHL's Green Bay Gamblers where he racked up 42 points in 62 regular season games, a number that is significant for a defenseman.

According to Corey Pronman's preliminary 2024 NHL Mock Draft, Levshunov is a top-10 selection. Pronman specifically has him going No. 7 overall to Philadelphia, but some mock drafts have him as high as No. 3. A defenseman of Levshunov's caliber is hard to come by. The league has an abundance of left-shot defenseman, so finding a defenseman from the right side who has good upside is rare.

If Levshunov lives up to the hype, he could be Michigan State's most significant player in nearly 20 years. For reference, Michigan had four future players or active roster players selected in the first five picks in 2021. In 2023, Adam Fantilli was selected third overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Michigan State's earliest selection this season was Trey Augustine to the Detroit Red Wings (No. 41 overall).

Levshunov joins a defensive corps that already includes second-round NHL selection Maxim Štrbák, sixth-round pick Viktor Hurtig and seventh-round pick David Gucciardi.