How come Adam Boqvist busted so hard while the other Dman chosen from 1-12th overall have all done pretty well if not excellent in the league

[UED]

A 5'11" offensive dman with no special talent who wasn't good enough for the Swedish 2nd league. I could've told you on draft day this guy was a trap. Not only wasn't he looking good but why would anyone draft a potential Tyson Barrie this high?? You could have anyone including a 6'3" two-way 1D who carried a bunch of nobodies to the memorial cup and you pick the guy who might become Tyson Barrie if everything goes right?? I think it's sabotage from the same GM who traded Panarin for Saad.

 

[HanSolo]

Development is not linear, you have to make projections. Sometimes those are wrong.

Haydn Fleury was drafted 7th overall and is a 7th D journeyman.
Griffin Reinhart never played a full season on a NHL roster as a 4th overall.
Slater Koekkoek didn't do much as a 10th overall.
Same with Duncan Siemens as 11th overall.
Dylan McIlrath and his 7 career points were drafted 10th overall, two picks before Cam Fowler.

Still time to turn it around, but Victor Soderstrom isn't looking like a great 11th overall.

Man I didn't understand why Griffin Reinhart went so high in 2012 and I didn't understand why Vegas bothered grabbing him in the expansion draft. Not like Edmonton's available players were all that special but it just seemed like a waste to me at the time.

 

[Dead Coyote]

He's afraid to take a hit to make a play. Unless you're really good, tough to make it otherwise as a dman playing like that.

Hard to blame a guy who's been repeatedly injured every year for not wanting to get injured.

Boqvist isn't done yet. He still has good potential and may still end up being a great pick, he's still pretty young and if he manages to get some more playing time in the NHL without injuries he will look good, he has looked pretty good this season in general.

 

[Ace Card Bedard]

He's still quite young and can find his groove.
Look at Gustav Forsling. He was going nowhere for several years until finding his game in Florida.

 

[57special]

Development is not linear, you have to make projections. Sometimes those are wrong.

Haydn Fleury was drafted 7th overall and is a 7th D journeyman.
Griffin Reinhart never played a full season on a NHL roster as a 4th overall.
Slater Koekkoek didn't do much as a 10th overall.
Same with Duncan Siemens as 11th overall.
Dylan McIlrath and his 7 career points were drafted 10th overall, two picks before Cam Fowler.

Still time to turn it around, but Victor Soderstrom isn't looking like a great 11th overall.

You can add Cam Barker(3 oa), and Bogosian(4th oa) to the list. At least Bogo is still playing, and has the excuse of injuries.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Development is not linear

Nope, it’s not. Development is cyclical. Boqvist is due for a huge comeback!

 

[Beukeboom Fan]

He was really talented. He always flashed high levels of skill in camp. Great shot, great skating, and great puck skills. He was never really good at boxing out players and was below average defensively. He got outmuscled all the time. I thought that he would get strong enough to play efficiently in the NHL. His skating didn't seem to be as good as scouts thought it was. His strength just didn't develop

After the Hawks traded him, I haven't paid much attention to him.

Agree he was rushed on a bad team.

Was he a truly great skater? I always saw him as more average, and you don't see many "undersized" d-men who excel in the NHL without being a truly great skater.

 

[Warh1ppy]

See Gilbert Brule for why uber talented smaller players being rushed in to the league is such a terrible idea

 

[JaegerDice]

The Blackhawks wanted Quinn Hughes, and I guess Adam Boqvist profiled closest to his potential ceiling when the Canucks snagged Hughes with the pick right before.

Then they rushed him to the show way too quick and tried to completely change his game instead of deployment him to take advantage of the advantages he did have at that age (offensive instincts and shot). The NHL is not the place to teach kids to defend if that's what you want from them, but it was always stupid to draft a guy like Boqvist and then try to turn him into Duncan Keith.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Adam Boqvist is not a bust. He’s solid when he plays. @majormajor said it best on the first page.

His biggest flaw is his health. He’s improving otherwise.

 

[TheNumber4]

Man I didn't understand why Griffin Reinhart went so high in 2012 and I didn't understand why Vegas bothered grabbing him in the expansion draft. Not like Edmonton's available players were all that special but it just seemed like a waste to me at the time.

He got extremely overrated on Championship Oil Kings teams if I recall. And was seen as a natural leader and win at all costs type defenceman. Was drafted for his intangibles more than his skill, which was a huge mistake.

 

[HanSolo]

He got extremely overrated on Championship Oil Kings teams if I recall. And was seen as a natural leader and win at all costs type defenceman. Was drafted for his intangibles more than his skill, which was a huge mistake.

I feel like I remember him getting way too much praise at the 2013 WJC too. I'd watch and see people gas him up and just be baffled. He looked physically mature and I think that gave the impression that he had a high level of poise but all I saw beyond that was below average skill, below average intensity, about average skating. He was just an entirely unremarkable prospect to me.

 

[TheNumber4]

I feel like I remember him getting way too much praise at the 2013 WJC too. I'd watch and see people gas him up and just be baffled. He looked physically mature and I think that gave the impression that he had a high level of poise but all I saw beyond that was below average skill, below average intensity, about average skating. He was just an entirely unremarkable prospect to me.

Yeh I’d agree with this assessment. One of the dumbest trades the Oilers ever made.

 

[StreetHawk]

A 5'11" offensive dman with no special talent who wasn't good enough for the Swedish 2nd league. I could've told you on draft day this guy was a trap. Not only wasn't he looking good but why would anyone draft a potential Tyson Barrie this high?? You could have anyone including a 6'3" two-way 1D who carried a bunch of nobodies to the memorial cup and you pick the guy who might become Tyson Barrie if everything goes right?? I think it's sabotage from the same GM who traded Panarin for Saad.

Pretty much spot on. Sub 6 foot Dman. To be worthy of a top 10 pick, needed to be dynamic offensively. Either amazing skater who can carry the puck or a bomb from the point. Beween he and Dobson/Bouchard, I liked Dobson the best of the group because of his combo of size and skating.

 

[cliffclaven]

Development is not linear, you have to make projections. Sometimes those are wrong.

Haydn Fleury was drafted 7th overall and is a 7th D journeyman.
Griffin Reinhart never played a full season on a NHL roster as a 4th overall.
Slater Koekkoek didn't do much as a 10th overall.
Same with Duncan Siemens as 11th overall.
Dylan McIlrath and his 7 career points were drafted 10th overall, two picks before Cam Fowler.

Still time to turn it around, but Victor Soderstrom isn't looking like a great 11th overall.

McIlrath was 10th overall? Whoa.

He was really talented. He always flashed high levels of skill in camp. Great shot, great skating, and great puck skills. He was never really good at boxing out players and was below average defensively. He got outmuscled all the time. I thought that he would get strong enough to play efficiently in the NHL. His skating didn't seem to be as good as scouts thought it was. His strength just didn't develop

After the Hawks traded him, I haven't paid much attention to him.

It didn’t help that the hawks have been god-awful for going on 6 years.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

Pretty much spot on. Sub 6 foot Dman. To be worthy of a top 10 pick, needed to be dynamic offensively. Either amazing skater who can carry the puck or a bomb from the point. Beween he and Dobson/Bouchard, I liked Dobson the best of the group because of his combo of size and skating.

He was getting erik karlsson comparisons somehow.

 

[Treb]

McIlrath was 10th overall? Whoa.


It didn’t help that the hawks have been god-awful for going on 6 years.

Probably will at least have a better career than Boris Valabik who was also 10th overall.

The only worse 10th overall in the 2000s is Mikhail Yakubov who only got 53 games then moved back to Russia to be a depth player.

Obviously not counting Dan Blackburn who retired early due to a nerve injury and Luc Bourdon who died in a motorcycle accident (RIP).

 

[stevo61]

I dont think Boqvist took his training too serious until recently either, that played a part in his slow development. Now Blue Jacket fans for the most part are sad when hes out of the lineup. There are still a few people that would rather a 6'4" guy in that spot whose only skill is being 6'4"

 

[StreetHawk]

He was getting erik karlsson comparisons somehow.

Every player gets over hyped at the draft. There is the optimistic, realistic, pessimistic expectations or projections for all players. Can’t expect best case scenario each time.

 

[Mattb124]

His elite skill is shooting

When you don’t have the puck on your stick it makes it hard to do that

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[Filthy Dangles]

Is a guy who spent most of his time this season playing on the top pair really a bust?

He was 5th in average ice time on Columbus blueline behind guys like Gudbranson, and Severson.

I think your statement is a little misleading.

 

[ESH]

He was 5th in average ice time on Columbus blueline behind guys like Gudbranson, and Severson.

I think your statement is a little misleading.

It's not misleading though. He spent an overwhelming majority of his even strength time playing next to Werenski on the top pair.

 

[WarriorofTime]

The rushed excuse is always weak.

If a player is not "rushed" and just never gets called or stays up, people just say "well he sucked", but if a player was "rushed" people say "oh he was rushed, that's why he stinks", no maybe he just stinks regardless of specific development choices.

It's not misleading though. He spent an overwhelming majority of his even strength time playing next to Werenski on the top pair.

That's not how this works, that's not how any of this works. D pairs are routinely just run at even strength and often balanced out. Calling a #5 Defenseman a "top pair" DMan is misleading at best, and an outright lie at worst.

 

[BB79]

Some players become good and some end up being busts.

Well I mean you aren't wrong. Patrice Bergeron was drafted #45 in 2003 while Zherdev went 4th overall. Stuff like that happens all the time. Zherdev wasn't a bad player but didn't stick around long and went to the KHL for most of his playing career, so you could call picking him a bust

 

[WarriorofTime]

Well I mean you aren't wrong. Patrice Bergeron was drafted #45 in 2003 while Zherdev went 4th overall. Stuff like that happens all the time. Zherdev wasn't a bad player but didn't stick around long and went to the KHL for most of his playing career, so you could call picking him a bust

What's crazy about Zherdev, he was still playing this season, all these years later. In the Italian 2nd division at almost 40 years old. Most would have thought he retired years ago.

I think Zherdev is a bit overhated as bust goes. He had some good years in the NHL and left while he was still pretty young. He just chose to go play in the KHL. Had he played his 15 year career in the NHL bouncing around team to team people go "oh he was OK" and not call him out as being a big bust, but since he went to KHL, which was a personal choice to be closer to home and also had to do with money and what the KHL could offer, he gets cited as this big bust. Which goes to show how people think about things. That pick wouldn't be a lot better for Columbus if he played for 8 different NHL teams, the impact for them is the same regardless.

That's why looking at just NHL games played is a deceptive way of thinking about it. If the guy goes on to a long NHL career but only makes a small impact for the Drafting team, that's not suddenly some great pick.