Adam Boqvist will remain with the Blackhawks for the rest of the season after the team did not use a paper transaction on him Monday to make the defenseman eligible to play in the remaining games of the AHL season or playoffs.
Boqvist has eight points (four goals, four assists), a 47.1 Corsi-For rating and 19.8 expected goals for percentage in 35 NHL games this season and six points (one goal, five assists) in 15 AHL games with the Rockford IceHogs. The 19-year-old is five NHL games away from the 40-game mark, which would count as an official full season and pull him a year closer to unrestricted free agency.
Chicago, however, did use paper transactions on defenseman Lucas Carlsson and forward Matthew Highmore to make them AHL eligible. Both players can be reassigned to Rockford without having to pass through waivers.
Forwards Alex Nylander and Dylan Strome are also waiver exempt, but haven’t played in the AHL since they were acquired by Chicago in July 2019 and November 2018, respectively. Nylander can play in 84 more NHL games before he is no longer waiver exempt, while Strome only has four NHL games remaining.
After the NHL’s trade deadline Monday, the Blackhawks and all other 30 active NHL teams can only make four call ups from the AHL. The total excludes emergency basis call ups for injuries and replacing players on injured reserve.
The Blackhawks and IceHogs are both on the outside of their respective league’s playoff picture. Chicago trails the Coyotes by eight points for the second wild card in the Western Conference, while Rockford is two points back of the Chicago Wolves (Golden Knights) for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Central Division.