New York Islanders Draft Profile: Adam Boqvist

With the 2017-18 season in the rearview mirror, it’s time for the New York Islanders to look ahead to the 2018 NHL Draft to add even more young talent to their roster. The New York Islanders will be selecting 11th and 12th in this year’s draft, so there should be a lot of talent left on the board for the Isles to take, one of these players is Adam Boqvist.
Boqvist (17) played for Brynas IF of the Swedish Hockey League last season. The Swedish defenseman stands at 5’11 and weighs in at 170 lbs. For his small stature, Boqvist really packed a punch on the score sheet scoring 24 points (including 14 goals) in 25 games for Brynas IF last season. Boqvist was also point-per-game in six games during this past season’s IIHF World Junior Championship.
From watching his tape, Boqvist is extermely good on the offensive end, always setting up teammates and using his elite speed to create space from opponents to make plays. Boqvist also is very good at handling the puck, something the New York Islanders need desperately as the only two players on the team who can consistently skate with the puck are Mathew Barzal and Nick Leddy, who finished this season with a league worst -42 +/- rating.
Unlike Leddy, Boqvist isn’t horrible on the defensive side of the ice, but could use some work, His 5’11 stature puts him at a huge disadvantage against some of the league’s forwards who stand at 6’0 and above, but he is showing signs of improvement as far as play recognition on the defensive side of the ice. Boqvist is still 17 years of age, so he still has a lot of time to master the defensive side of the game and provide aid to the New York Islanders abysmal defensive core.
Overall, Boqvist is an offensively gifted defenseman who might just be the perfect fit for the New York Islanders. Boqvist could easily slot into the Isles 3rd pairing slot as he is better than any right handed defenseman on the team not named Ryan Pulock or Johnny Boychuk and could easily give life to the Isles second power play unit. He is a great skater with elite playmaking skills and can also put the puck in the net himself. Once he completely matures on the defensive side of the ice, Adam Boqvist is a man who can do it all for the New York Islanders.