Adam Boqvist looking forward to his second NHL draft
Unlike most of his peers, Adam Boqvist went to the NHL Entry Draft one summer before it was his draft year. Not because he wanted to learn about the event, take notes or just enjoy Chicago. No, he was there as a family member. Older brother Jesper Boqvist was picked by the New Jersey Devils in the second round, 36th overall.
The younger Boqvist remembers the whole experience vividly.
“It was very cool. I was probably more nervous than he was”, he chuckled when EP met with the talented defensemen before he and the rest of Team Sweden left for the U18 World Championships in Russia.
This year in Dallas, it’ll be his turn to be drafted. And, yes, he will by all means have bragging rights in his family after that. Because there’s no chance whatsoever he will go as late as 36th overall. Most scouting services have the 17-year-old slotted among the ten first players in the draft, some even among the five first.
“We’ll see what happens. I would get a kick out of just being drafted by an NHL team and get to wear their jersey”, Boqvist said.
UNABLE TO AVOID DRAFT RANKINGS
It’s been a special year for Adam Boqvist both on and off the ice. Being in the spotlight during a season when you’re about to be drafted can be a very stressful experience for a young man. Boqvist confesses that he peeks at different draft rankings every now and then.
“Everyone says that they don’t pay attention to that, but we all do”, he said with a wry smile. “You see it every time there’s a new ranking on Twitter or something like that. You can’t help but to look. At the same time, my brother, mom, dad and my agent has reminded me not to put too much emphasis on that because there’s a risk it might affect how I play. I’ve been trying to think about that.”
Photo: Bildbyrån/Simon Hastegård
On the ice, Adam Boqvist was a dominant force in the Swedish U20 league. He averaged more points than any other defenseman in the league (0,96) and was second in goals (14), despite playing only 25 games. On the senior level, things didn’t go as smooth.
Boqvist was hoping for more ice-time with Brynäs in the SHL, but was only dressed for 15 games, averaging 7.27 minutes per game.
“I was hoping for more of a chance earlier than in the playoffs. But I’m not the one coaching the team, so you have to adapt to whatever they want to do”, Boqvist said.
He also played seven games on loan with Almtuna of Swedish tier II league Hockeyallsvenskan, but that didn’t go to well either.
“I played around 20 minutes a game to begin with and things went well. But when (Detroit Red Wings prospect) Gustav Lindström returned to the team after the World Juniors, I got to play less and less. Maybe it would have been better for me to stay in Brynäs and play with the U20 team”, Adam Boqvist said.
ALMOST SCORED IN HIS DEBUT WITH TRE KRONOR
Despite not getting a break at the senior level this season, Boqvist had a nice surprise waiting in the wings. When the season came to an end, he received a call from the Swedish national team. Before going to training camp ahead of the U18 WJC, he was invited to practice and play a game with Tre Kronor.
“It was very special to play with the big boys. Really cool and exciting. I learned a lot from the week I spent with them and it was neat to play a game”, he said.
“We played Slovakia and it wasn’t the best opponent you could find, but it was a really cool feeling to wear the national team’s jersey.”
Sweden won the game 7–1 and Boqvist almost scored his first goal in his debut, but it turned out his shot was re-directed into the net by forward Olle Liss.
“That’s okey. I was just honored to play and be a part of a victory”, Boqvist said.
As these words are written, Boqvist is off to a great start at the U18 World Junior Championships in Russia. Sweden lost the group final to Canada after overtime, 2–3, with Boqvist scoring both goals. The creative, smooth-skating d-man, who is similar to Erik Karlsson in a lot of ways, leads the Swedish team with six points (3+3) in four games. He has had a hand in half of the goals that the Swedish team mustered during the round robin.
Although the most important part of the tournament still remains, with Sweden playing Slovakia in the quarterfinals on Thursday, it looks as if the tournament in Magnitogorsk and Chelyabinsk will further establish Adam Boqvist as one of the most intriguing prospects in this year’s draft.