NEWSLETTER
Apparently this summer, when then-Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman was trying to construct a roster to save his job and win now, he told defenseman Adam Boqvist’s agent, Peter Wallen, that the former 2018 eighth-overall draft pick by Chicago would not be traded.
Then, he was traded. And not just any trade, it was in the blockbuster deal to land Seth Jones in Chicago.
Boqvist was involved in the trade along with Chicago’s 2021 first-round pick (No. 12), their 2021 second-round pick (No. 44), and their 2022 first-round pick. The Blue Jackets turned Seth Jones, their 2021 first-round pick (No. 32), and their 2022 sixth-round pick into Boqvist, Cole Sillinger, and Jake Bean, along with holding Chicago’s likely 2022 lottery draft pick. Not too bad.
#CBJ defenseman Adam Boqvist said his agent had been told by the Blackhawks that he wouldn't be traded, so the deal this summer was a bit of a surprise. He actually found out on Instagram about the trade, but that's the biz. "I’m happy in Columbus. This is where I want to be."
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) January 10, 2022
The 21-year-old has continued his development as an offensive defenseman in the league and has been given a decent opportunity with Columbus. He’s averaging 16:38 minutes per game for the Blue Jackets and is regularly playing on their powerplay. He is third on the team in scoring for defensemen with seven goals and 14 points in 23 games. His 0.61 points-per-game rate is second on the Blue Jackets blue-line, only behind Zach Werenski’s 0.65 marker.
For Jones in Chicago, he’s leading the Blackhawks in ice-time (25:54 per game) and is fifth among NHL defensemen with that total per game. His 25 points are third on the team and lead all Blackhawks defensemen, by a lot. After a slow start to the year, Jones is looking once again like a top-level defenseman in the NHL. They also selected Nolan Allan with their 32nd-overall pick in the draft, who looks to be a potential top-end, defense-first defenseman, but will be a longer-term project.
Color me shocked that Stan Bowman wasn’t true to his word.
Chicago and Columbus play tomorrow night in Columbus, and will be the first time that Boqvist and Jones play their former clubs.
