Blackhawks prospects Artyom Levshunov and Frank Nazar aren't exactly similar people, but they do have three things in common.
First, they're both talented hockey players whose development is critical to the Hawks' future. Second, they're roommates in Rockford, sharing an apartment with fellow Hawks forward prospect Paul Ludwinski. And third, they both love fishing.
When Levshunov was cleared to return from his foot injury in late October and assigned to Rockford for his AHL debut, one of the first things he, Nazar and Ludwinski did was go fishing in the Rock River.
"He's a little bit quiet at home, actually," Nazar said recently. "I'm still trying to break him out of his shell. But we've been fishing a few times and cooked a few dinners.
"There's a few good spots where we can fish there. The weather is getting a little bit cold now, so we haven't gone lately, but we did go a few times."
As a kid in rural Belarus, fishing was Levshunov's second passion after hockey. With his grandmother, he watched the local pro team; with his grandfather, he fished.
Nazar's childhood in the Detroit suburbs, meanwhile, was unfathomably different than Levshunov's in almost every way except that one. The story of his family owning a parking garage near Joe Louis Arena is well-known, but his parents actually spent most of their time at their restaurant on the shores of Lake St. Clair.
"Whenever they were like, 'Come to work because you can't stay home alone,' I would just end up fishing all day," Nazar said.
Nazar's techniques were basic back then, but with some advice from Ludwinski and other Rockford staffers, he has begun experimenting with some fancier lures and spinner baits. His best catch of the fall was a northern pike.
Fishing outings not only helped Nazar begin to break through to Levshunov but also helped Levshunov become more comfortable in his third city in three years in the United States.
"It's good to see him starting to find his way and get into the system," Nazar said. "[He's] getting a little bit meaner in the corners and knocking guys down, which I love to see, and [he's] shooting the puck, which he's really good at."
The Hawks drafted Levshunov knowing that he would need longer to develop than most top-five picks. That timeline was slightly further delayed when he missed camp, but he's now progressing as hoped.
He's up to eight points, including two goals, in his first 18 AHL games, although Rockford has been outscored 15-11 during his five-on-five ice time. His unusual skating style makes him sometimes look casual or even lackadaisical to the untrained eye, but he's usually maneuvering faster and more efficiently than it appears.
"We have to remember he’s a young kid that comes over here [with] lots going on, but his last two-to-three weeks have been encouraging," Hawks interim coach Anders Sorensen said Sunday. "His engagement in battles [has improved]. He’s utilizing his reach and his size to kill plays defensively and be able to jump up offensively. And he’s a good passer."
Nazar, meanwhile, has continued to dominate the AHL with 24 points in 20 games. He's tied for fourth in the league in scoring (entering Sunday) and tops among rookies, although he has gone consecutive games without a point since Sorensen was promoted to Chicago.
General manager Kyle Davidson has implied Nazar could be called up before Christmas, but his development should nonetheless be prioritized over the Hawks' offensive needs.
Note: Fellow top defensive prospect Kevin Korchinski was called up Sunday to replace Alec Martinez, who is day-to-day with a neck injury. Korchinski could make his NHL season debut Monday against the Rangers. Goalie prospect Drew Commesso was called up to replace Petr Mrazek, who will miss one-to-two weeks with a left groin injury.
Nazar said he obviously won't "say no" to the NHL call when it comes, but he has enjoyed his stint in Rockford — for reasons beyond the ample fishing spots.
"I'm just doing my best to be me and be confident," he said. "[I'm] able to focus on things I want to work on and not worry about the pressure."
His period-to-period and shift-to-shift consistency levels are two key areas that he has improved compared to his two years in college and his mediocre NHL training camp back in September. He has achieved that improvement by creating a mental checklist for himself every time he steps on the ice.
"[I'm] going back to knowing what the key parts of my game are and knowing, 'OK, if I stick to these things each shift, it's bound to be a decent shift,'" he said. "Stops and starts, using my feet, stuff like that — [I'm] creating a checklist like that in my head so when I go out there and I'm not feeling my best for a shift or a game, I'm really getting down to those things."
Nazar's intelligence is an asset, but Sorensen — during his time coaching Rockford — emphasized how Nazar can't afford to stop and think. It needs to be done on the fly.
"I know my brain can handle it and I know I can process [things] right away," Nazar said. "I'm making sure my body and brain are working at the same time and on the same page."
