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Blue Jackets want Boqvist to make summer gains: 'We've just scratched the surface'
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- Blue Jackets want Boqvist to make summer gains: 'We've just scratched the surface'
It's been a mixed season for Adam Boqvist .
On the upside, the Blue Jackets defenseman has shown why he was drafted eighth overall by the Blackhawks in 2018 and included as a key piece of the trade that sent Seth Jones to Chicago last summer . Boqvist, 21, has more goals (11) than any other defenseman on the roster — including Zach Werenski (10) — and would have even more if it weren't for the downside to his first season in Columbus.
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After missing 24 games with injuries plus a COVID-19 infection, and after battling an offseason issue that slowed him in training camp, Boqvist hasn't gotten enough development time. That's why the pending offseason is critical.
"I think we've just kind of scratched the surface with him," Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen said. "He's a young man. I'm excited for him to have a summer to really … we're going to push him in training this summer and it's going to be a real point of emphasis for him. But you can see what he can do."
'Dynamic' Adam Boqvist can put the puck in the net for Blue Jackets
All it takes to see what Larsen is talking about is one glance at Boqvist's offensive numbers.
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His goal-scoring rate of 0.26 per game is fourth-highest on the team, far ahead of his defensive peers and trailing only forwards Patrik Laine (0.52), Boone Jenner (0.39) and Oliver Bjorkstrand (0.37). Had Boqvist not missed any games and kept up the same scoring rate, he would've had 17 goals going into a game Thursday at the New York Islanders .
For perspective, forward Gustav Nyquist had 16 goals prior to Thursday's game and ranked fourth on the team in that category. Boqvist clearly has a knack for offense that's tantalizing, particularly on power plays.
"He's a very dynamic player," Larsen said. "I've said it several times. He shoots like a forward, like a skilled forward. He's got great instincts, moves the puck really well, great outlet pass … but I really believe there's a lot more in that tank."
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Blue Jackets' Adam Boqvist has challenging summer ahead
Whether that talent is ever fully utilized is up to Boqvist, whose slight build and easy-going nature aren't traits found among most of the NHL's top defensemen.
He plays a position where skilled players can thrive, but usually not without being passable defensively against the NHL's best forwards. Improving in that capacity for Boqvist requires strength gains, better injury luck and more zest in the defensive zone.
"I obviously know what I have to do to be a better hockey player in this league," Boqvist said last week, upon returning from his most recent injury. "I have to be stronger, especially in the D-zone and stuff, but I think we all know … the (coaching) staff and the (front office) know what I have to do myself, so it's going to be an exciting end of the season here and exciting summer."
What kind of defenseman could Adam Boqvist become for the Blue Jackets?
This season is already Boqvist's third in the NHL, after spending the previous two as Duncan Keith 's defense partner in Chicago.
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It's easy to forget Boqvist's age and how early he is in the development arc of an NHL defenseman. Thursday's game was just the 119th of Boqvist's career, and most defensemen require a minimum of 300 games before reaching their peak levels. Colorado Avalanche star Cale Makar (164 games) and the New York Rangers ' Adam Fox (190) — last year's Norris Trophy winner — are exceptions.
Boqvist could become another one, but has hurdles left to clear.
"He's got a ways to go for that, for me, as far as he's got to get a whole lot stronger," said Larsen, who feels Boqvist could learn from watching undersized Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon . "I think 'Bo' really wants to do the right thing. It's just (that) we've got to put more fuel in that tank for him, and that will come, probably, in the summer. He offers a lot of things (other) guys can't do, so there's a lot of excitement with him and what his game could develop into."
Nobody's more excited than Boqvist.
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"I don't just want to be good," he said. "I want to be great. That's the motor I have in me. And, that said, whenever the season's over, I'm ready to hit the summer hard."
bhedger@dispatch.com
@BrianHedger
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets need 'dynamic' Adam Boqvist to make strides
