Russell Macias
June 22, 2018. That’s the date of the first round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. That night, the New York Islanders held two first-round picks, the 11th and 12th overall picks, and patiently awaited their turn.
The first 10 picks had come and gone when it became New York’s turn. Defensemen like Rasmus Dahlin, Quinn Hughes, and Evan Bouchard all were taken off the board. The Islanders selected Oliver Wahlstrom and Noah Dobson with their consecutive picks.
Dobson, despite his struggles, has been a success. At the time of the draft, Dobson had been ranked ahead of Hughes in Central Scouting. It felt like a coup. Even so, those first four defensemen taken all play massive roles on their teams, and all will have significant cap hits.
It’s one of the best early rounds for defensemen in recent memory. Only one snag. There’s a fifth defenseman taken inside the top 12. He became the third defenseman taken, ahead of Bouchard (10th) and Dobson (12th). With the eighth overall pick, the Chicago Blackhawks selected Adam Boqvist.
Beginnings:
At the 2018 draft, Boqvist went before both Bouchard and Dobson, drawing some surprise. The draft’s debate centered around where the defensemen would fall, with Bob McKenzie’s final rankings even highlighting the wide range with which all the defensemen were ranked, Dahlin aside.
It didn’t take long for Boqvist to break through. At age 19, he played 41 games for the Blackhawks in the 2019-20 season, and he scored his first NHL goal in his second career game. Those Hawks, a non-playoff team in any regular year, finished as the lowest-placed team to qualify for the NHL bubble in 2020. Boqvist received a taste of playoff action, but it’s how it began.
After that, stops and starts became common for Boqvist. During the 56-game season in 2021, he played 35 games and recorded 16 points as a 20-year-old. The promising defender continued to blossom, but as he had injuries started to happen, they wouldn’t stop.
That summer, he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets as part of the Seth Jones trade. As a 21-year-old in Columbus, he scored 11 goals and 22 points but played just 52 games out of 82, still his career high.
Said Boqvist on early struggles with health: “I think the biggest thing for me is that, say, when I played good hockey, I got hurt, and then you come back, you got to start over again. And I feel like that’s what’s happened to me the last three or four years.”
He played just 81 games over the next two seasons with Columbus, registering a total of six goals and 34 points on a bad Columbus team. Columbus bought out the final year of his contract.
Rocky Start with Florida, Waived:
Looking for a reset and a new opportunity as a UFA at the young age of 23, Boqvist signed with the Florida Panthers. It felt perfect, as the Panthers also signed his brother Jesper. Instead, he never received a proper chance.
“This year, I didn’t get the opportunity to play in Florida because they had their six guys. So it didn’t matter how I played with the guys. You know, I think he [Paul Maurice] had an idea what the six guys was going to look like.”
Later, Boqvist discussed another reason why Florida did not work for him: “Obviously, Florida plays the type of system that works for some people and doesn’t for others. But, it works for them. They won the Cup last year. And it’s just – it’s kind of – it takes time to learn the system there. Everyone’s got to be on the same page.”
After just 18 games and stretches as a healthy scratch, Florida waived the defender. On Long Island, the defensive core experienced a new wave of injuries. New York pounced on the opportunity to bring in the young, promising defenseman.
Arriving in New York:
He became their third defensive acquisition inside of a week after all six of their original defensemen suffered injuries. First, the team signed Tony DeAngelo. Then, they traded for Scott Perunovich. Finally, they claimed Adam Boqvist off waivers from the Florida Panthers.
Perunovich played nine games for the Islanders, with the last coming on February 25 when the New York Rangers humiliated the Islanders. That night, he and Ryan Pulock struggled mightily. Perunovich hasn’t gotten another chance since and though he’s an RFA, he is not expected to be qualified at this time and presumably will walk as a free agent.
DeAngelo signed as a free agent after playing in the KHL to start the season. He’s had some offensive highlights, including an overtime winner against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Signed specifically for his offensive prowess and power play capabilities, he’s recorded 17 points in 30 games, a respectable clip.
However, he’s recorded just three power-play points. Since his debut on January 25, the Islanders have gone 10/78 on the power play, good for a 12.8% success clip, 28th in the NHL. Furthermore, his defensive play, especially of late, has deteriorated. He plays unquestionably hard, often being the first to stick up for teammates in scrums, and seems well-liked in the room.
Boqvist’s Mindset Upon Arrival:
Boqvist scored in his debut against the Tampa Bay Lightning and started to fit right into Head Coach Patrick Roy’s system.
Coming to Long Island, Boqvist had a simple goal. “Stay healthy. Build up the momentum in my game, and my consistency. Earn it [ice/playing time], too.”
It helped that Roy has a system that fits his style. Boqvist was very transparent about how Florida made him uncomfortable, but Roy’s system has done the complete opposite.
“When you don’t play your game, you don’t feel too comfortable out there, you know, because that’s what brought you here, right? And that’s what I felt like when I came here. [We] want to play with the puck. [The coaches] want the D-man to make that pass and join the rush. That’s my type of game.”
“Coming here was an easy transition because I’ve played this game in Columbus and Chicago as well where you play with the puck, and you want to make those plays so you can – but don’t be stupid about it, you know. If you don’t have the play, you put it deep and stuff like that. So I think it’s a fun way to play.”
How High is Boqvist’s Ceiling?
Over his first 16 games with the Islanders, he’s recorded two goals and eight points. That’s a 41-point pace, all while playing the lowest minutes of his career outside of the brief stint in Florida. He also played two games at forward, something he smiled about when asked and said he hadn’t done before.
With more consistent minutes and if he can continue to produce, all of a sudden the Islanders could have a complete steal on their hands, courtesy of the waiver wire. There’s a reason he was selected ahead of Dobson and Bouchard. Despite all the injuries and setbacks, this could be his biggest (and maybe final) opportunity.
It’s Time to Unleash Boqvist
Despite DeAngelo’s defensive shortcomings, Roy has loved heavily utilizing him, and he’s averaged 23:22 TOI (time-on-ice) per game. Meanwhile, Boqvist recorded eight points in his 16 games. He’s recorded just as many power-play points, all with the second unit, and has received just a 15:07 average TOI.
His production is quite similar to DeAngelo’s in significantly fewer minutes. Yet, much like DeAngelo, Boqvist has some defensive warts to be worked out. Now’s a perfect time to flip the script. There are five games left in the season. DeAngelo cannot show you anything new at this point in his career.
Boqvist should be given a heavy load, and the Islanders can test whether he’ll sink or swim. There’s no better way of finding out or at least evaluating where he is as a player.
What Comes Next:
Boqvist arrived in a room full of injuries with the expectation he could be right back on waivers. Instead, he outplayed Perunovich. He temporarily stole Scott Mayfield’s job despite yet another injury scare and multiple stints as a healthy scratch. Even so, Boqvist kept his positive attitude.
At this point, as a 24-year-old drafted in one the best-performing drafts for defenseman taken early, Boqvist is just happy to have a new opportunity. He praised the Islanders’ room, and talked about how it’s a great group of guys.
He’ll be an RFA at the end of this season, and a total no-brainer to bring back. He’s all but a shoo-in for the six starting defensemen next season, barring some unforeseen changes. He’s a perfect replacement for the role DeAngelo plays, the only difference being that Boqvist’s defending is improving, while DeAngelo just is what he is defensively.
With uncertainty swirling around the aging parts of the defensive core, keeping a young, budding player who fits Roy’s system perfectly is an easy decision.
