Boqvist back to AHL — for now
Return to Rockford solves roster dilemma, should help his game
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Blackhawks made the simplest move they could Thursday, reassigning top defensive prospect Adam Boqvist back to the AHL.
With Connor Murphy almost certain to come off long-term injured reserve Saturday and return to the lineup against the Predators — which would have given the Hawks eight defensemen on the active roster — general manager Stan Bowman had a few options, none of which were perfect.
He could have put Slater Koekkoek on waivers, prioritizing Boqvist and his sky-high potential over Koekkoek, a known commodity as a depth defenseman. But if Koekkoek were claimed, a la Carl Dahlstrom at the end of training camp, the Hawks would have little experienced injury insurance moving forward. Plus, if Boqvist stayed in the NHL, he would need to play regularly, meaning one of the other well-paid veterans would need to become the oft-scratched No. 7 defenseman. Brent Seabrook would be the obvious choice, but the Hawks want to keep him in the lineup for chemistry reasons.
Bowman also could have tried to swing a trade, most likely involving Erik Gustafsson, who will be an unrestricted free agent next summer. But Gustafsson is only a few outings removed from a recent career low point, and dealing him now would be a sell-low mistake.
Boqvist held his own in his six NHL appearances but certainly won’t be hurt by more development time in the minor leagues. So Bowman went with the third choice: Send him down.
It’s indicative of the approach the Hawks have broadly taken with their crop of rookies this season. Coach Jeremy Colliton clearly believes load management and close instruction are more valuable than maximum minutes and experience. Boqvist was even scratched last Saturday in Pittsburgh, despite it presumably being clear to the coaching staff that his return to the AHL was imminent.
After the Hawks’ win over the Golden Knights on Wednesday, Colliton spoke more about the deployment strategy with younger players.
“They’re helping us win in the minutes they’re getting, but it’s important not to ask too much of them and manage the workload and allow yourself — as a staff — time to give them feedback,” he said. “It’s not a straight line upward, as far as performance, but overall, I think they’re all trending the right way.”
About 10 hours later, perhaps not coincidentally, Boqvist’s return to Rockford was announced.
Boqvist had two fantastic games in his first big-league stint. He scored his first NHL goal and dominated play in his second game in Anaheim on Nov. 3, as he was on the ice for nine Hawks scoring chances vs. just two chances by the Ducks. He had similar results Sunday against the Maple Leafs, with an 8-2 advantage in on-ice scoring chances.
He also had some down games, as one would expect from any 19-yearold. The Canucks, for example, throttled him to the tune of a 1-8 scoring-chance differential. And he was rather invisible Wednesday, too.
All in all, he exceeded expectations — albeit not dramatically — in his first run, which coincided with the Hawks’ team-wide turnaround. They went 4-1-1 with him in the lineup.
Now he’ll get a chance to apply his learnings in the AHL, where he admittedly didn’t play well in October. And the Hawks will keep the freedom to slide the start of his entry-level contract to next season, though it seems likely they’ll play him at least four more games this season and kill that slide opportunity.
Indeed, reassigning Boqvist was clearly Bowman’s wisest option.