Thursday, March 28

Blue Jackets’ Adam Boqvist eager to put health issues in the past


Blue Jackets defenseman Adam Boqvist has seven goals, seven assists and 14 points in 26 games.

The NHL gives young defensemen a lot of challenges to face before they become dependent assets.

Succeeding in board battles, especially if the player is undersized, can be a tall order. Learning to “gap up” against oncoming rushes isn’t easy, and neither is defending NHL forwards as the lone guy back. Defensemen also need to develop a feel for when to pinch low in the offensive zone and when to stay near the blue line, which can be often the difference between a goal one way or the other.

Adam Boqvist is trying to work on all of those areas with the Blue Jackets, but the biggest hurdle for the 21-year old defenseman is staying healthy. Boqvist will restart his season for the third time Wednesday against the Calgary Flames after being activated off the team’s COVID-19 protocols list.


www.dispatch.com

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