MSU Hockey Star Gets Huge Honor at World Junior Championships
What has helped Michigan State hockey's resurgence is the immaculate recruiting of Coach Adam Nightingale. Nightingale's ability to pull in top NHL talent and develop said players in a limited timespan has been the greatest X-factor.
Artyom Lehvshunov was the star of the season last year, becoming the premier defenseman throughout all of college hockey, living up to NHL Draft hype and the top-five pick projection placed on him before he even stepped on the ice in East Lansing.
Lehvshunov was selected No. 2 overall in the 2024 NHL Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. Levshunov may have been the biggest recruit that Nightingale has landed, but he is far from the only blue-chip defenseman.
Maxim Strbak, a Slovakian defenseman, is right up there. He is currently representing his home country in the World Junior Championships held in Ottawa. More than that -- Strbak is wearing the alternate captain "A" on his jersey.
For the Spartans this season, Strbak has a goal and eight assists for nine points in 16 games. As a defenseman, those stats matter very little. In his own end, Strbak has a high motor and can play the stick game, cutting off angles and getting between skaters and the puck.
Before he even came to Michigan State, Strbak was selected in the second round of the 2023 NHL Draft by the Buffalo Sabres.
Per Elite Prospects, "Strbak is a two-way defenceman with dynamic skating and plays a highly creative game. He tries to make plays with every puck touch. A spin move here, a dangle there, and many slip passes. He's got high compete, excels at getting the puck out, and is good in transition."
In a scouting report from Last Word on Hockey, writer Kyle Pereira had plenty of praise for Strbak.
"Strbak looks to be a bigger offensive zone presence and transporter of the puck at this stage, but the defensive abilities both against the rush and in his own end scream steady and under appreciated match-up defender," Pereira wrote. "If he can unlock his offensive game, there’s something more to be had with Strbak. But that seems unlikely, based on how much needs to be improved at this stage. But the potential is there to be had."
Michael France is Sports Illustrated's Michigan State recruiting beat writer, covering all things Big Ten recruiting for Spartan Nation. Be sure to follow him on Twitter/X@michaelfrancesi for exclusive Spartans recruiting coverage.
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