Adam Boqvist might not suit up in a Blackhawks uniform after next preseason.
The Blackhawks are discussing whether the defenseman, who turns 19 in August, would benefit more from returning to the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League than playing with the Rockford IceHogs in the AHL if he’s not ready to play in the NHL next season, reports Scott Powers of The Athletic.
Boqvist, who was drafted eighth overall in last year’s NHL draft, is putting up elite offensive numbers in his first season not only in the OHL but in North America. He’s among only five OHL defensemen to average more than a point per game at 1.12 points with 56 points in 50 games. Boqvist also had a goal and three assists in five games for the Sweden men’s national junior team at the World Junior Championship.
Despite his strong offensive game, there are concerns that the right-handed blue-liner’s game in his own zone isn’t NHL-ready. The Blackhawks, however, are committed to having the 6-foot, 181-pounder be a defenseman and have “no interest” in moving him to forward, a source tells Powers.
The Knights have five regular-season games left before the OHL playoffs begin. London, who are the top team in the Western Conference with 95 points, clinched the OHL’s Midwest Division title with a 3-1 win over the Erie Otters last week. The Knights last won the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions and Memorial Cup in 2016.