DRAFT: Boqvist a dynamic potential option for Oilers at defence

EDMONTON, AB - Despite hailing from Sweden, prospect Adam Boqvist could be the Swiss Army knife when it comes to having the tools needed to be a productive offensive defenceman in today's NHL.
A dynamic right-shot blue-liner with speed, vison and puck-handling ability that could rival the top forwards available in this year's draft class, Boqvist is a high-end option that the Oilers could be fortunate enough to select at tenth overall at the NHL Draft later this month in Dallas following the NHL Combine in Buffalo.

The 5-foot-11, 165-pound defenceman possesses the ability to join the rush and create space for his teammates while progressing defensively in his own zone by utilizing his strong hockey sense. A spark in his play has drawn comparisons to two-time Norris winner and Ottawa defenceman Erik Karlsson, but the 17-year-old is prepared to forge his own identity.
"I think my strengths are my offence, moving the puck and my play on the PP," Boqvist added. "Of course I try to play like Erik Karlsson but he's pretty good. I try to play my own way."
NHL teams picking inside the top-half of the draft could each be adjusting their priority lists frequently when players fall off the board on June 22 in the first round of this year's NHL Draft. General Managers may need to make the most of their spot by drafting ahead of the curve in the first fifteen picks when it comes to forwards due to the plethora of defencemen and lack of centres available in the top-10, which could give a team like the Oilers the inside edge on a player like Boqvist at tenth overall.

"I think Boqvist could be one of those guys in play for the Oilers," Sportsnet Junior Hockey Analyst Sam Cosentino said to Oilers TV at the NHL Combine this past Saturday. "You look at many of the prognostications at the beginning of the year and some of the ones that have come out recently probably would've had him inside the top-7. That changes a little bit.
"I think of Noah Dobson and Evan Bouchard as two guys that have vaulted themselves over Boqvist, which pushes him back a little bit because of that run of forwards and wingers."