2018 NHL draft prospect profile #10: Adam Boqvist
By Alex Hoegler
Many are expecting the Vancouver Canucks to draft a defenceman with the seventh pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. Swedish blueliner Adam Boqvist may be the pick. Here’s our profile on a potential future Canuck.
Barring any surprises, it’s easy to envision Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning picking a defenceman with the seventh pick in this year’s draft — assuming he decides to go with an organizational need over the best player available.
If that turns out to be the case, Benning will have a number of intriguing options here. We know Rasmus Dahlin will go to the Buffalo Sabres with the first pick. Forwards Brady Tkachuk, Andrei Svechnikov and Filip Zadina will absolutely be taken by the time Vancouver picks.
That leaves Quinn Hughes, Noah Dobson, Evan Bouchard and Adam Boqvist as the best available options for Benning. Of course, we shouldn’t be surprised if two of them are off the board by the time Benning picks.
There’s a good chance Boqvist is available at the seventh spot. Benning would have the chance to draft a solid puck mover that would certainly need one or two more years in Sweden before the jump to the NHL. Here’s all you need to know about Boqvist.
The stats rundown
*Counting stats provided by EliteProspects
Height: 181 cm/5’11”
Weight: 75 kg/65 lbs
Birthdate: Aug. 15, 2000
Position: Defence
Handedness: Right
Team (league): Brynas Jr. (SWE-JR.)
Rankings:
#2 by NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING (EU)
#6 by Bob McKenzie (April rankings)
#5 by Cam Robinson (Dobber Prospects)
GP G A P
25 14 10 24
Boqvist was tied for fourth in league scoring. He and Tim Henriksson each had 24 points, which shared the league lead among all blueliners. Boqvist’s 14 goals trailed only Adam Hirsch’s 22 — and the latter played 15 more games.
On top of that, Boqvist was quite disciplined — finishing with just 18 penalty minutes. The only problem that may plague Boqvist in the NHL? He’s undersized compared to most blueliners, and he’s going to need to bulk up — much like Canucks prospect Elias Pettersson.
Related Story: 2018 NHL draft prospect profile #11: Ty Smith
Scouting reports
Patrik Bexell and Davis St-Louis, Habs Eyes on the Prize:
"It has been clear that the defender’s youthful enthusiasm has been a weakness when he has played at a higher level, leading him out of position in his zone. His impetuous charges when he makes a play on the puck rather than the opponent also shows that his reads in the defensive zone aren’t up to a professional level just yet.But Boqvist seems to have improved his defensive awareness and stabilized himself a little bit when he played at the junior level as the year went on, something that should bode well for his future.There’s also an element of the defensive game that comes more naturally to him, and that’s playing against other teams’ rushes. He doesn’t always have the best of gaps, but he can adapt quickly to attackers trying to move around him with his great mobility. His quickness often enables him to be aggressive in the neutral zone, cutting passes before the opposition can attempt to get across his blue line."
Mark Scheig, The Hockey Writers:
"Boqvist is as good a playmaker as he is a shooter. He is equally dangerous in both offensive aspects. He can score from anywhere on the ice. If he doesn’t have the shooting lane, he can complete almost any pass. It’s usually the right pass and on the tape. He does all of this at a high rate of speed as he is a dynamic skater. Need an example of how offensively gifted he is? When his team needed a shootout goal, he was called upon to deliver and usually did.Of course the question with an offensive defenseman is how good is his two-way game? In Boqvist’s case, it’s decent. There’s certainly work to be done especially in his own end, but it’s improved. He’s actually really effective breaking up plays in the neutral zone. He uses his speed and stick handling to do this. Where he needs to improve is his size and strength in order to become more effective in his own zone. He thrives in open space, but needs to solidify his play in tight spaces."
What we think
The Canucks certainly need a true offensive-minded defenceman, with Alexander Edler one year away from free agency and turning 33 next season. Olli Juolevi is their best blueliner prospect, but he still has a long way to go, and he certainly doesn’t bring the offensive game that Boqvist has.
But can the Canucks take a chance on another speedy blueliner that lacks the size?
The Canucks may be better off trying to land an Evan Bouchard — who brings more offence and much better size. If Benning has his eyes on Boqvist, I’d look at trading down one or two spots — because there’s a chance he could fall out of the top-10.
Next: Canucks: Jim Benning on core players and age
But that’s for another day. Boqvist brings tremendous speed and has the potential to be a legitimate power play quarterback. The Canucks haven’t had one of those in a while, and Boqvist would certainly fill the role. It’ll be interesting to see where he falls in the draft, and if the Canucks have legitimate interest.