Adam Boqvist – Right Defenseman – 5’11 170lbs – 17 Years Old - Brynà¤s IF J20 in the SuperElit – 5gp 1g 3a 4p
Whenever a player is put on a plinth, there will always be some hope they can be taken down. Call it contrarianism or cynicism, however you want to reach the conclusion, it remains the same. Taylor vs Tyler? Can Eichel catch McDavid? Matthews vs Laine? There were legitimate arguments to be made, but a lot of them seemed artificially made to support hype and excitement. This has already begun with Rasmus Dahlin vs Adam Boqvist. I believe it was Craig Button who got the ball rolling with an unforeseen claim that “many scouts feel Boqvist could pass his Swedish counterpart.… Again, nobody knows what the future holds and how the players will develop, but this claim seems very farfetched at the moment. Regardless this is not a “Bash Boqvist… affair. He’s a very high end prospect and a player to watch. I just think he isn’t at Dahlin’s level yet. Like Victor Hedman vs Oliver Ekman-Larsson in 2009.
Boqvist is the younger brother of Jesper who went 36th in the 2017 draft. While both are talented in different fields, one strength rings true for both. Skating. Boqvist is a supremely talented skater. He has the ability to find paths into the offensive zone and create opportunities out of very little. At every stage he has played thus far, he has shown dominant scoring and playmaking ability. He’s very reckless in his game, but that’s the type of player he needs to be to succeed. He will take end to end rushes and he will weave one on three to set up a forecheck. At the Ivan Hlinka, they don’t really keep any analytical data, but you watch him play and you just know he’s going to be an analytics darling. He is constantly on the puck. Constantly making zone entries and constantly attempting shots on net. The majority of the time he’s on the ice, his team will outshoot their opponent.
Staying with the Ivan Hlinka, that’s where a lot of hype came from. Boqvist was a force during the tournament and took over the primetime in the absence of Dahlin. Dahlin was with the U20 squad in Plymouth at the time. Boqvist had a goal and 8 points in just 5 games to finish second in tournament scoring. He was a dominant scoring force for the Bronze medaling Swedes. This was really his breakout on the International scene. He had been more of a bit player in previous tournaments he played in such as the U18’s last season.
At the end of the day Boqvist is a player to watch as a sleeper. As the year goes on and players are judged more and more harshly for their perceived flaws. A dynamic player like Boqvist might seem more attractive as an investment. He’s still physically immature and small and he’s a mid-August birthday. A strong U18 tournament and a continuation of the levels he’s playing at in the SuperElit could give him the boost he needs in terms of distinguishing himself from the pack of high quality defenders around him in the draft. Unfourtunately for controversy; that pack won’t include Dahlin.
NHL Comparable : Jake Gardiner