Jackets hoping leaner, quicker Boqvist breaks out
The Blue Jackets' goal, eventually, is to pack “good weight” onto Adam Boqvist.
For now, going into the 22-year old defenseman's fourth season, they'll take his offseason strength gains despite a drop in bulk.
“There's lots of things I think he needs to improve, and in the four months that he was gone he improved in a lot of those areas, which is a huge step for him,” said coach Brad Larsen, who challenged Boqvist to add muscle in the offseason. “He is a little bit stronger, he's a little bit lighter, but I think it's OK to be lighter if you're stronger.”
How much lighter?
“I think I've lost, like, 12 to 15 pounds,” Boqvist said. “I've leaned out a little bit and put some muscles on. I feel better on the ice, as well, so I'm happy with that and I think they were happy, as well.”
The NHL is no different than other leagues when it comes to fudging a bit on height and weight. Inches are often gifted to players who are vertically challenged and weight can be adjusted up or down.
Boqvist is a good example. Depending where you look, he's either 6 feet or 5-11 and weighs anywhere between 179 pounds to 190. The Blue Jackets list him at 6-0, 189, but those measurements haven't changed since the team's final game last season.
That means they haven't been updated. The current camp roster says 6-0, 182, but using 189 as a starting point, Boqvist might now be in the 174 to 177 range after factoring in his offseason weight loss.
That's just weight. Height is a different puzzle.
The Chicago Blackhawks, who drafted Boqvist eighth overall in 2018 and traded him to the Blue Jackets in a July 2021 deal for Seth Jones, listed him at 511. Hockey Reference and Cap Friendly also use 5-11 — both going with 179 pounds — while the Blue Jackets and Elite Prospects say 6-0.
Whatever the actual measurements are for the Swedish defenseman, what's irrefutable is the fact he's not the NHL'S biggest rear guard. He doesn't have to be, either.
Boqvist, who had 11 goals, 11 assists and 22 points in 52 games last season, was a top-10 pick for his offensive abilities. At the time, former Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman used
San Jose Sharks star Erik Karlsson as an NHL comparison.
Turning that potential into stardom will require Boqvist to stay healthy for a full season, something he has yet to do, and become less of a liability. The Blue Jackets, who agreed to a three-year contract extension with him in July, are hopeful he can reach those goals sooner than later.
“He's still a young man,” Larsen said. “You can't correct everything in one summer. It's impossible. But if you see a guy willing to put the work in and make strides, that's what I wanted to see. And you saw it. He looks much better just on the eye test.”
That's partly why Boqvist is getting another shot to play with Zach Werenski on the top defense pairing. They played limited minutes together last season, successfully, but injuries and Boqvist's defensive shortcomings forced Larsen to find other combinations.