The Wild Card
5 years ago
A few weeks ago Jesperi Kotkaniemi would have been described as the true wild card in this years top ten. As we’ve moved closer to the draft that I think that label now belongs to Swedish blueliner Adam Boqvist.
Here is where Boqvist ended up being ranked among the final releases from various scouting services.
ISS Hockey – 9th
McKeens Hockey – 9th
McKenzie’s Rankings – 10th
Hockey Prospect – 11th
Corey Pronman’s Rankings – 7th
Redline Report – 8th
McKeens Hockey – 9th
McKenzie’s Rankings – 10th
Hockey Prospect – 11th
Corey Pronman’s Rankings – 7th
Redline Report – 8th
I think there is a very good chance that Boqvist will be available for the Oilers when their time on the clock arrives.
This afternoon, I had a chance to chat with the editor in chief of Hockey Sverige and friend of the Nation, Uffe Bodin. I’m not sure anyone would have a better read on Swedish prospects than him, and he told myself and veteran scribe Jim Matheson that Boqvist is clearly better than Erik Karlsson was at the same age. He’s also a little bit heavier than Karlsson was as a 17-year-old.
From ISS Hockey:
ISS Scout Joakim Eriksson | “Terrific passer, elite skater and plays the game with confidence. He likes to join the rush and act like a fourth forward. He runs the power play like a quarterback. He needs to bulk up and add more muscles to his frame to be able to play at the next level.”
ISS Scout Fredrik Johansson | “Difference maker. Nice breakups with his good read and accurate poke checks, his lack of size is compensated by his stick. Very good agility and difficult to catch. Very good in PP where he can break patterns and do the unexpected.”
THE FLAWS
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One of the so-called flaws in Boqvist’s game is that he needs to work on his defensive zone coverage. I had a chance to chat with Boqvist’s agent, Martin Nilsson, today and he pointed out an interesting stat. His client played 17 games for various levels of the National Team this past season and in those games, he was not on the ice for a single goal against. If a player struggles defending I find it hard to believe that he could go 17 games without allowing a goal against. So the flaws in his defensive game may be a little bit exaggerated.
In addition to his apparent defensive flaws, Boqvist has also had to deal with concussions over the past two seasons. He suffered one concussion last season and then suffered two more concussions this year. His second concussion this year was apparently more about just being extra careful after suffering the first one.
THE FUTURE
Boqvist was in a little bit of a weird spot this past season. He was apparently too good for the junior league but was a victim of a stacked blueline on the SHL team in Byrnas.
He will have two options next season. He agent told me that it looks like there will be much more opportunity for him in Brynas which should lead to a major improvement on his 15-0-1-1 stat line from this past season.
If he doesn’t find more opportunity in Sweden he could always head over to the Canadian Hockey League and guess which team has his rights. The London Knights. I’m sure the Knights will be tyring hard to convince him to come over and maybe the NHL team that drafts him would prefer for him to get on North American ice sooner rather than later.
THE END RESULT
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As I mentioned earlier in the article there is a very good chance that Boqvist will be available when it’s the Oilers turn to pick on Friday night. He told me today that he met with the Oilers at the combine in Toronto but had not met with them since and did not have plans to meet with them again.
Unless he goes in the top nine Boqvist will end up being THAT guy for Oilers fans.
If the Oilers take him 10th overall and he doesn’t pan out it will be…..”You should have never drafted this guy because he couldn’t play in his own end and had concussion issues.”
If the Oilers take him and he does pan out…..”He was the obvious pick and they would have been stupid not to take him. My Uncle Ab could have made that pick.” (Yes I have an Uncle Ab, he’s a beauty.)
If the Oilers pass on him and he goes on to be even remotely close to Erik Karlsson it will be…..”They said he was better than Erik Karlsson and had all of the assets you were looking for in a d-man yet you passed on him, epic fail”
If the Oilers pass on him and he ends up being a bust…..”He would have had a better career in Edmonton because he fits the exact mold of a defenseman you want playing with Connor McDavid.”
So the safe play? Draft Ty Smith. The Spokane blueliner’s upside is second unit PP while playing on your second pair and possibly wearing a letter. Or you could take the next Erik Karlsson.
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