Adam Boqvist Is Better Off Playing For The London Knights

The Blackhawks broke the hearts of many fans when they decided to assign Adam Boqvist to the London Knights of the OHL.

ROSTER MOVE: Defenseman Adam Boqvist has been assigned to the London Knights of the OHL. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/1PiZzKVOaB

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) September 26, 2018

In my last article, I talked about how Coach Q teased us with the possibility of Boqvist staying on with the team through the preseason.

Adam Boqvist can play up to 9 games this season without burning first year of entry-level deal. Seems like a possibility he could start year with #Blackhawks. https://t.co/G4Y4fuAULJ

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) September 21, 2018

A clause in Boqvist's contract gives him 9 games of NHL eligibility without burning 1 year of his 3-year Entry Level Contract. I selfishly wanted him to stay on with the team and play those 9 games because I wanted to see more, but the team opted to send Boqvist north of the border for developmental purposes.

Why Adam Boqvist Will Benefit More Playing For London Than For Chicago

Nobody wants Boqvist developing any bad habits by playing with the Blackhawks' current plethora of 3rd pairing slackers as an 18-year-old. Ultimately, I do understand why they did it. The London Knights have a track record of successfully preparing their players for the NHL. London has had a hand in developing someone you may know. He's a current Blackhawks' star and Team USA captain -- Patrick Kane. I think Kane turned out pretty well if you ask me. Adam Boqvist playing in London is the best case scenario for a few reasons:

1. Consistent ice time and a lot of it
2. Level playing field
3. More time to adjust to the North American rink size and speed
4. Won't learn bad habits from bad Blackhawks' defensemen
5. Less pressure on him

Most importantly, Boqvist wouldn't have to suffer in Chicago on a team with more problems than solutions. The Blackhawks aren't winning another Stanley Cup anytime soon, so it doesn't make sense to put a young kid in the line of fire. Plus, Coach Q has a history of burying talented players on the bottom line or pairing if they make a mistake. We all know Boqvist would have made mistakes as an 18-year-old rookie playing in the NHL, so playing for the London Knights is basically a blessing in disguise. Many current and former NHL players have taken the same path as Boqvist. Here's a list of London Knights' alumni that you may be familiar with:

Name                 Pos      Birthplace Nat.  NHLYears   GP   G   A  PTS  PIM   W  SV% SO           DraftInfo
Shanahan Brendan      LW       Mimico ON   CA 1987-2009 1524 656 698 1354             2489   1987-1 (2) by NJD
Ciccarelli Dino       RW       Sarnia ON   CA 1980-1999 1232 608 592 1200                                 1425
Nash Rick             LW     Brampton ON   CA 2002-2018 1060 437 368  805              750   2002-1 (1) by CBJ
Perry Corey           RW Peterborough ON   CA 2005-2018  957 366 400  766             1083  2003-1 (28) by ANA
Kehoe Rick            RW      Windsor ON   CA 1971-1985  906 371 396  767              120  1971-2 (22) by TOR
Maruk Dennis           C      Toronto ON   CA 1975-1989  888 356 522  878              761  1975-2 (21) by CGS
Girardi Dan            D      Welland ON   CA 2006-2018  865  52 196  248                                  302
Kane Patrick          RW      Buffalo NY   US 2007-2018  822 312 516  828              316   2007-1 (1) by CHI
Wideman Dennis         D    Kitchener ON   CA 2005-2017  815  99 288  387              503 2002-8 (241) by BUF
Smith Steve            D         Glasgow   GB 1984-2001  804  72 303  375             2139 1981-6 (111) by EDM
Gagner Sam             C       London ON   CA 2007-2018  770 152 281  433              354   2007-1 (6) by EDM
Tavares John           C  Mississauga ON   CA 2009-2018  669 272 349  621              307   2009-1 (1) by NYI
Carlson John           D       Natick MA   US 2009-2018  608  77 256  333              198  2008-1 (27) by WSH
Quincey Kyle           D    Kitchener ON   CA 2005-2018  586  36 122  158              548 2003-4 (132) by DET
Del Zotto Michael      D  Stouffville ON   CA 2009-2018  566  53 158  211              250  2008-1 (20) by NYR
Kadri Nazem            C       London ON   CA 2009-2018  488 145 168  313              344   2009-1 (7) by TOR
Mason Steve            G     Oakville ON   CA 2008-2018  476   0  12   12   22 205 .911 34  2006-3 (69) by CBJ
Bolland Dave           C       Mimico ON   CA 2006-2016  433  85 123  208              299  2004-2 (32) by CHI
Maroon Patrick        LW    St. Louis MO   US 2011-2018  375  78 100  178              451 2007-6 (161) by PHI
Maatta Olli            D       Jyvaskyla   FI 2013-2018  302  24  69   93               86  2012-1 (22) by PIT
Horvat Bo              C       London ON   CA 2014-2018  295  71  90  161               71   2013-1 (9) by VAN
Tierney Chris          C      Keswick ON   CA 2014-2018  284  41  63  104               40  2012-2 (55) by SJS
Domi Max              LW     Winnipeg MB   CA 2015-2018  222  36  99  135              185  2013-1 (12) by PHX
Athanasiou Andreas     C       London ON   CA 2015-2018  172  43  33   76               49 2012-4 (110) by DET
Marner Mitch           C      Markham ON   CA 2016-2018  159  41  89  130               64   2015-1 (4) by TOR
Tkachuk Matthew       LW   Scottsdale AZ   US 2016-2018  144  37  60   97              166   2016-1 (6) by CGY
Hutchinson Michael     G       Barrie ON   CA 2013-2018  102   0   1    1    0  43 .910  3  2008-3 (77) by BOS

Provided by Hockey-Reference.com: View Full List

The Sky Is The Limit For Adam Boqvist

Adam Boqvist had a strong offseason for the Blackhawks which is why he stayed with the team longer than most people expected. Boqvist flashed his sky-high potential multiple times in the Blackhawks’ prospect camp, the Traverse City prospect tournament, in practice, and in preseason games. Boqvist is known for his offensive prowess, but he has the tools to be great defensively as well. Like here in practice, he participated in a board battle drill with Marcus Kruger.

Marcus Kruger and Adam Boqvist working on board battles today. Nice to see Boqvist somewhat holding his own here. Obviously, there’s still some work to be done, but Boqvist’s stock is still pointing up and he’s trending in the right direction. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/Bqp8mWPtN0

— ✶ ✶Tony Gianares✶ ✶ (@Certified_TonyG) September 19, 2018

Boqvist is not exactly a polished two-way defenseman yet, but he's definitely improving. In practice, he took on multiple skaters in a defensive positioning and poke checking drill. His body positioning and active stick are very impressive.

2018 8th overall pick Adam Boqvist making quick work of fellow prospects in the poke check drill pic.twitter.com/ZziTZ6y1sm

— Blackhawk Up (@Blackhawk_Up) July 17, 2018

He even showed that he has the ability to catch a skater from behind and stop a potential breakaway opportunity in a recent preseason game against Detroit.

Here is the play by Adam Boqvist. #Blackhawks #CHIvsDET pic.twitter.com/lAr5nPx1hz

— ✶ ✶Tony Gianares✶ ✶ (@Certified_TonyG) September 20, 2018

As for his offensive game, Boqvist has the potential to be one of the best scorers in the NHL. You can see just how easy offense comes to him in this highlight reel.

Get to know the newest #Blackhawks defenseman, #8 overall pick Adam Boqvist. #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/FJN7WHVwg7

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) June 23, 2018

Good Things Come To Those Who Wait

I'm sure I am not the only one who is excited that Adam Boqvist is a part of the Blackhawks' organization. He is a bright, young star in the making and the Blackhawks need to start thinking about the future. The core players are getting older and the competition has finally caught up to them. Players like Boqvist don't come around very often, so it would be in everyone's best interest to let him do his thing with the London Knights this season. They know what they're doing as far as player development goes. It's not like the Blackhawks are competing for a Stanley Cup this year. This season might be rough, but things will turn around soon and it all starts with Adam Boqvist. The youth movement is here and it's real. The “silent” rebuild has officially begun. The team will be back on top before you know it, just stay patient and keep the faith. For more Blackhawks news and updates, follow the author @Certified_TonyG on Twitter.