Prospect Profile: Adam Boqvist
...his game is raw, but he presents the highest ceiling of any defenceman in this draft class not named Rasmus Dahlin.
By
Ryan Biech @ryanbiech / Canucks freelance writer
He had some strong showings internationally for Sweden, but struggled defensively in the Allsvenskan and Swedish Hockey League in his brief time in both leagues.
There is little question about his ability as an offensive defenceman who can control a powerplay with ease. His game is raw, but he presents the highest ceiling of any defenceman in this draft class not named Rasmus Dahlin.
Season Stats
| GP | G | A | P |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 15 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Boqvist kicked off this draft season with a fantastic performance at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament that saw him put up one goal and seven assists in five games for Sweden. After an impressive draft minus one season in 2016-17, expectations were sky high that he would take that next step forward and become a dominant defender in Sweden.
He posted 14 goals and 10 assists in 25 games with the Brynas IF junior team. While the underlying number suggested that although he was dominating offensively, there were still some concerns on the defensive side of the game.
His strong performance in the U20 league allowed him to get promoted to the top team and appeared in 15 regular season and three playoff games for Brynas IF in the Swedish Hockey League.
Lastly, Boqvist was loaned to Almtuna IS in the middle of the season for seven games in the second division professional league, the Allsvenskan, where he limited to two assists in seven games.
As expected with any teenager, especially someone as young as Boqvist, there were some struggles in the defensive zone that saw his ice time limited to 7:27 per game during the regular season. But even just appearing in both of those leagues as a 17-year-old should be taken as a positive sign rather than a negative. Not many players in their NHL draft season see a regular role in the SHL.
The defensive side of the game is where there is some work to be done. In all three leagues in Sweden, he was prone to making mistakes from trying to do too much. Combine that with his smaller stature, at 5-foot-10 and 170-pounds, and there were concerns about that part of his game.
The right-handed defender ended his draft season by representing Sweden again, but this time at the U18 World Junior Championships. He once again stood out as the best defender for Sweden as he put up three goals and three assists in six games to help Sweden secure a Bronze Medal. He was named the Best Defender of the tournament after ending the event with the most goals and points by any defenceman there.
Unfortunately, his tournament was cut short after suffering a concussion in the Semi-Finals against Finland. It was his second concussion of this season.
It's clear from his production in the junior leagues and at international tournaments that he doesn't have too much to learn on the offensive side of his game.
Watch: Youtube Video
Boqvist has any extremely heavy shot that he isn't afraid to let fly as he was among the leaders in shots at the end of the U18 tournament. He is dynamic with the puck, willing to rush and carry the puck as space allows displaying an exuberance in creating offence.
He is a fantastic skater that can pick up speed, lean on his edges, and pivot with precision. All while maintaining complete control of the puck. His shot is what will jump out in his play, but Boqvist possesses some great passing and play making abilities that make him hard to contain when set-up in offensive zone.
If NHL teams are looking for a power play quarterback that is built for the current NHL game, then Boqvist jumps to the front on a lot of prospects rankings.
The Falun born defender has played well when forcing opponents to make decisions in the neutral zone rather than giving up the blue-line. If he can continue to do that, it will limit the opportunities for his opponents to push him around physically as he develops his frame.
On the flip side, when representing Sweden throughout the year, he was generally paired with a more reliable partner and those issues were not present against his peers. No matter how you look at it, the defensive side of the game is an area that many draft eligible players struggle in and Boqvist is no exception.
He has the hockey IQ and skills to hopefully overcome those concerns as it would then allow him to use his dynamic offensive abilities to showcase the impact he can have. His defensive play on the international stage was encouraging and lead many to believe that with some patience, he can overcome his challenges.
Boqvist is a high-risk prospect, but has such potential for high-reward that there is valid reason why he is a consensus top 10 pick in this draft class. His offensive tools and skating are among the best in this draft class. There is value to be placed in the fact that he is right handed and can transition the puck from his own zone to the offensive zone with consistency.
Any team to select Boqvist will understand that it may take some time for him to round out his defensive play, but if they can get that in line, he may be a home run pick that will run their power-play for the next decade.
